Can the Government Control How We Speak?

You can argue about the First Amendment and freedom of speech all day, but when it comes down to individual words and their spelling, we defer to linguist Dr. Erica Brozovsky. She's not a stickler for correct usage, but she does keep an eye on how it changes over time. Today, Brozovsky explains how certain governments have tried to standardize certain words, either to protect a language or even resurrect it. 

Users of the English language, however, don't like to be told how to speak and write, which is why it has splintered into British English, American English, Australian English, etc. We have authorities, more from academia than from governments, that tell us the correct way to spell and use English words, but even they are aware of how language changes and evolves due to the way real people use it in everyday life.