Another Win for Freedom of Speech in Illinois

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

Recently, Laura Hois, a candidate for State Representative District 81, successfully settled a lawsuit against the Downers Grove Park District.

In order to understand why this is cause for celebration, context is needed.

Her lawsuit states that on July 30, 2024 and other occasions, Hois was excessively deprived of exercising her freedom of speech. During her campaign, she would regularly hold speeches at her local parks located in Downers Grove.

In response to Hois’ political speech (which the Park District disagreed with), their response was to enforce a physical limitation on her speech: a 15’ by 15’ “free speech zone.”

According to her attorneys, Mauck and Baker,

“Mrs. Hois suffered physical, emotional, and economic harms entitling her to compensation…”

Her attorneys rightly note in the lawsuit that this imposition of a “free speech zone” is in direct violation of both the Illinois and United States Constitutions in the freedom of the exercise of free speech.

Thankfully, Hois has successfully settled this lawsuit in her favor and thereby proving that freedom of speech is worth fighting for.

However, this occurrence once again opens up the conversation regarding speech.

According to the Left, “speech is violence.” Especially speech that is in opposition to their value systems such as ICE, abortion, or transgender matters.

Because of this belief, it is no wonder that the Downers Grove Park District unconstitutionally mandated a limitation on speech. After all, if speech is truly violent, it must be limited.

Charlie Kirk understood the devastating impact of an ideology that believes that mere conversation is dangerous. In fact, he was so against this ideology that he dedicated his entire life’s work to having conversation with opposing viewpoints.

He is quoted as saying,

“When people stop talking, that’s when violence happens… that’s when civil war happens. Because you start to think the other side is so evil and they lose their humanity.”

According to Charlie, it is not the presence of speech that is violent. It is the absence of conversations that eventually leads to the suppression of ideas and the violent attacks on opposing viewpoints.

Hois’ successful lawsuit is a positive precedent that has been set in Illinois: that your freedom of speech matters and is worth protecting.

After all, without the First Amendment, all other rights start to crumble.