A Burmese comedian named Zarganar was sentenced to 35 years in prison for violating electronics laws in 2008. Subsequently, Zarganar was sentenced to an additional 14 years for supporting destructive acts against the state. Although he was arrested and convicted for violating electronics and video laws, his only real crime was openly criticizing the Burmese government's handling of a past incident (Farrington 66). The Burmese government and other similar governments are the type of government that our nation's founders separated from and protested against. America has recently begun to resemble these governments in the way it restricts citizens' freedom of speech. America has slowly moved away from our ancestors' original ideas about free speech. In order to truly become the land of the free, Americans must learn to tolerate the opinions of others instead of limiting them. Freedom of expression is the right of civilians to openly express their opinions without constant government interference. In recent years, restrictions and regulations on freedom of expression have continued to increase. This right is limited by the use of expressions intended to provoke violence or illegal activities, defamation and slander, obscene material and appropriate framing. These limitations may seem justified, but who decides what is obscene and inappropriate or the wrong time and place? It is somewhat unnecessary to impose so many limits and regulations on freedom of expression. It is understood that some things should not be said in public due to terrorist attacks and other acts of violence against our government, but not everything should be considered a threat. Some people prefer to express themselves angrily or rudely, and as long as it does not cause harm...... middle of paper ...... continually preventing people from saying what they want, the government just makes them want to do it. act and speak even more. To become a better nation or better citizens, we must learn to tolerate or accept the ideas of others, no matter how absurd or profane they may be. No one has to agree with these ideas. Being able to tolerate the opinions of others leads to order and peace (Tinder 44). For us to truly be a free nation, we must allow for true freedom of expression. “Order and peace are spontaneous and tend to prevail wherever freedom reigns” (Tinder 45). Works Cited Farrington, Julia. “Listen to our voices.” Censorship Index 42.2 (2013): 66-69. Internet. November 11, 2013. Mintcheva, Svetlana. “Land of the Free?.” Censorship Index 42.2 (2013): 70-73. Internet. November 11, 2013.Tinder, Glenn. Tolerance and community. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1995. Print.