This is a super tough question, but I’ve thought about it a lot since Salman Rushdie’s attack. A lot of people say the US totally protects freedom of speech, but then stuff like this makes you realize there’s a big difference between laws and what happens in real life. I remember seeing people online arguing: if talking or writing can get you stabbed, is speech really as free as people say?

The law did its part—the guy who stabbed Rushdie is gone for 25 years—and that’s supposed to show speech is protected. But honestly, the atmosphere gets scary when writers or artists have to worry about their safety just because someone got offended. My English teacher said, “The rights exist on paper, but we all feel their limits.”

And I’ve noticed, after the attack, some authors and speakers are way more cautious. Some even skip out on events because the risk feels real. So while the law is clear—free speech is a right—the Rushdie case shows that sometimes, personal threats make people self-censor. It's like, the law says one thing, but fear can change what people actually say or do. That’s the messed up part.