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Notes -
This seems to be true. The constitution of the People's Republic of China guarantees the right to freedom of speech, so did the constitution of the Soviet Union, there didn't use to be nearly as much freedom of speech in the United States.
Laws leave a lot of room for interpretation. No country has absolute freedom of speech. Even the U.S. has exemptions for defamation, obscenity, threats, etc. I don't think either the U.S. or Canadian constitutions really protect the right to gay marriage or abortion. The commerce clause is a notoriously far-fetched extension of the U.S. government's power. Nothing really forces courts to interpret things either literally, as intended, or fairly. They can do what they want.
Some laws seem almost designed for abuse. Section 7 of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the "right to liberty" while the 14th amendment to the U.S. constitution protects "priviliges and immunities".
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