This is National Free Speech Week — when we celebrate this fundamental and priceless right that we Americans enjoy.

We at Olelo Community Media implore individuals and organizations throughout the state to practice and protect our freedom of speech.

Over the past 12 months, the importance of this freedom has been magnified in Hawaii on several occasions as our island citizens were moved by controversial issues to exercise their free speech right.

Last November, the Hawaii Legislature held hearings on a bill enabling same-sex marriage. Proponents and opponents shared passionate viewpoints and hundreds of individuals testified, many having to wait patiently for their voices to be heard.

Regardless of one’s personal views on the matter, it was heartening to see everyday citizens speaking out and voicing their opinions.

Similarly, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) held statewide hearings earlier this year on proposed rulemaking to solicit public comments on whether and how the DOI should facilitate the reestablishment of a government-to-government relationship with the Native Hawaiian community. Again, hundreds participated with equally fervent passion.

Our democratic republic is founded on the principle of citizen engagement, and this was prevalent on these two issues, as well as others such as banning genetically modified organism (GMO) crops and the legalization of marijuana.

And on Nov. 4, we exercise the extreme value of expression: voting for our elected officials.

An equally important example of free speech occurred on Hawaii island when the ACLU successfully took legal action against the county government on behalf of a homeless man’s right to hold a sign saying, "Homeless, Please Help" along a public street. This case is a reminder that everyone has constitutionally protected free speech rights — even those experiencing economic misfortune.

Exercising and allowing freedom of speech can, at times, be uncomfortable, but it is our birthright as American citizens.

Earlier this year, at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, two students were told they could not pass out flyers in a particular area of the campus; when the students fought that policy in the belief that it impinged on their freedom of speech, campus officials backed down.

If we cannot exercise the freedom of speech in our public institutions of higher learning, we as a society should take a good look inwards and ask what our values truly are.

For our part, here at Olelo, we have tried to help members of the community find their voices for the past 25 years since our inception as Oahu’s only provider of community-access television. And using our resources, we believe that we helped increase awareness of issues critical to our community; with regard to marriage equality, we aired more than 19 hours of public testimony for both the state Senate and House of Representatives.

And we were proud to have worked with our neighbor island public-access media counterparts — Akaku: Maui Community Media, Hawaii island’s Na Leo O Hawaii and Kauai’s Hoike Community Television — to air every statewide DOI hearing not only in full, but in most cases live.

We invite all of Hawaii to join Olelo Community Media in celebrating this critical freedom.

Particularly now as we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we take this opportunity to recognize all in our community that speak out, as well as those who help protect that right for all.

To celebrate Freedom of Speech Week, please use your voice today and make your opinions known, without fear, and with the pride of exercising this critical American right.