freedom is just another word

after I read that it made me wonder, is does freedom really exist? Something I have been trying to grasp in the past few months is whether or not you can actually be free? Not considering the idea of politics and rights but more so your freedom of speech. I've written about certain things I said on facebook and how it blew up. What got me thinking was whether or not one can speak their mind and have the right to say what they feel and not be crucified for it. I have literally spent hours at night considering the options and the possibilities. I have come to the conclusion that you cannot speak your mind without penalty. There will always be someone who is offended or who doesn't want your controversial comments to be heard. There will always be this censorship on our lives, no one can claim freedom in this life. With sites like twitter and facebook and blogs, people are constantly being watched by others and they use it against the person. You can say what you want, but what does it cost you? In my life, at this point it might have cost me apart of my extended family. Now, family is another term I use loosely (this is for another time though) but at the same time this is what my reality is. Eventually there might be a time where it is in the past but you are still left the with question is freedom just another word?