The case in favor of free speech goes above and beyond the rationale for filtrating government encroachments on expression. It also involves affirmative steps to make sure all individuals and groups have the means and opportunity to be heard. If free speech matters, one needs to ask not only whether the government is respecting it, but whether individuals feel able to exercise it in daily life. The nature of the societal advantages of free speech help explain why it is not enough to define free speech simply as the right to be shielded from government interference. To unleash both the individual and the collective benefits of free speech requires the creation of an enabling environment for a broad array of speech and a public discourse open to all. This article addresses speaking out on campus, free speech protections, and ways to protest without silencing and why it is important. [This article is an excerpt from the author's book, "Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All."]