You have been assigned to compose an essay in which you discuss how "freedom of speech" came to be valued by America's founders.

Which choice would make an appropriate topic sentence for a paragraph in this essay?

a)Today, many countries in the world still punish citizens who speak out against the government.

b)Some say that freedom of speech shouldn't be absolute but should be balanced against other concerns.

c)Freedom of speech is stipulated in the First Amendment, while the Second Amendment discusses the right to bear arms.

d)John Locke, a philosopher who influenced many of the American Founders, propounded an inherent right to life, liberty, and property.