As I put in my AirPods and swipe my playlist, I notice my music. Everything from Ryan Stevenson’s “Eye of the Storm” to Ghetto Boys “F**k a War” stare back at me. Gen Z and Millennials maybe don’t realize how fortunate we are and take freedom of speech for granted.

Life in this country—with social media, how we talk, what we listen to, write about, watch and comment on—is allowed because of our rights.

The stories of soldiers, survival and war play in my head because it was their fight that allow me to continue my everyday life and listen to the words of artists with lyrics from love to hate.

Music, Christian to rap, tell a story and send a message. The freedom to write about culture, political views and feelings is diversity and our American right.  

“I ain’t going to war for a sh*t talkn’ president,” Ghetto Boys raps. It is his right to write and rap it. It is my right to listen, to agree or disagree, without fear of legal actions.

In the gym, or in the car, to get hyped before a game, I am free to listen without fear because of freedom of speech. What would it be like if artists couldn’t write and we couldn’t listen? Our culture would be different and maybe I would be too.

To voice and my opinions are who I am. I realize without freedom of speech, I wouldn’t be able to voice my views or to be me. When I see what our military has fought for, it makes me realize how important freedom of speech is and how it affects who each person is.  

Freedom of speech means thanking those who fought for the right for me to be me. Because of them and who I am allowed to be, I will not to take for granted and remember the freedoms we have in this country.