Democracy has a different meaning to everyone. For me personally, not only does democracy symbolize the right to vote, but for a nation to be truly democratic, the right of free speech must be present. My parents immigrated to the States to not only chase after new opportunities, but in hope of finding a land where new opportunities will be present to my sister and I. China has always been the first country I would compare America to, the most striking difference between the two is the ever present suppression of free speech in China. Free speech on the other hand has always been a guarantee, people rarely think twice about what they saw, and whom they are talking about due to ability to speak one's mind without fear of retaliation. However, this right is slowly being taken away from us by what is often called "Big Tech" by right leaning media outlets. Moreover, this threat doesn't only exist from large cooperation's; today it's hard to speak one's mind without fear of retaliation, of fear of insulting the wrong party. While there are many arguments made for limiting speech so that we don't offend other individuals, ultimately I believe that everyone should be allowed to speak as they feel necessary, without the need to self-censor as a form of protection against angry mobs. The right of free speech is the backbone of democracy, and without it democracy will forever exist as a memory of the past, never to see the light of civilization again.This collection will be mainly dedicated to artifacts representing free speech in politics.