Why is Freedom of Speech such an important right?

Well, if we didn't have freedom of speech, then we would be all bottle up and pushed down with the government's rule. We would be a communist country, I think. There would be religion forced upon us. We would probably have to have specific guide lines on what to wear. We couldn't say what we wanted to. The government would control our television and radio. The freedom of speech is what keeps this country free. With out it, we would be like North Korea or something like that.