People think governments can't try to regulate our thoughts. Or that it is allowed, but never happens. But it does. When they tell us what to believe, in political and religious matters. Or when they just tell us what books we can read in our homes, like the Supreme Court says. Sometimes it is unavoidable. My HS street law teacher said it actually can be the difference between life and death in the United States. In other words, the difference between first and second degree murder, and the death penalty. Because the difference between first and second degree murder is only intent. Your thoughts, in other words. But it is still an important right. That is why the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) says "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion". But the right, or the idea, of freedom of thought is much older than that. That is why Queen Elizabeth I famously said "I have no desire to make windows into men's souls" when she reformed laws in England, with things like the Treason Act of 1547. Because as they point out on the National Archives of the UK government website, speaking of the 1352 Treason Act (just before the 1547 one) "The definition of treason did not, however, remain static. The act made provision for future cases of treason beyond what could be imagined at the time, and would be expanded to include religious treasons, treasonous thoughts, political plots, revolutionary movements and subversion against the state."
We are fortunate to be able to speak our minds here. Many are jailed , tortured and / or killed for just such in many places around the world. We may be facing some of it here soon, IMO.
