The rights to free speech and expression are a vital part of any democracy. Balancing these rights with other prioritiessuch as national defense and the protection of minoritiesis an ongoing struggle both in the United States and in democracies across the globe. The benefits of democracy can be found in every part of the globe. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and its communist ideology in 1991 democracy has been touted as the only real answer to the worlds challenges. At the same time the true meaning of democracy has rarely been so extensively tested.