Are we living in "1984"

I have to admit that all my life I have been outspoken. I may have not been able to read the Declaration of Independence but I new by age 3 that I had an unalienable right to opine and to use my speech to tell everyone about said opinions. Now opinions always have consequences and the first one is for everyone to label you as (surprise!) "opinionated". I remember in college my cookie-cutter, cutie-pie, sorority sisters, tsking about me and my brilliant best friend. Catty criticism from C students is something I could live with.
But in modern day America, Land of Faux Non-News, Home of the witless Beck, Palin, O'Reiley, Hannity and such the stakes are much higher. Their disciples who tune in for their daily Maoist propaganda fix not only want to take away our sacred right of free speech but we are also given the heinous of motives for our opinions.
I happened to express an opinion in Facebook about a fellow who expedite or "made up" the right for the president of the last administration (we know who that was) to allow the torture of terrorist suspects. This goes against the Geneva Conventions treaties which have signed that international consequences. This so called lawyer invented this as a way of letting the Bush regime do what they wanted. My comment was that it was shameful that this man was on a TV show hawking his book. The next day I had an email from a dear family member I love very much asking me how I could possibly have compassion for terrorists? I was horrified that someone I thought knew me would think that. There was a joke section to the email: These people are trying to take over our country so you better get a veil. WTH???? I wrote back that I absolutely abhorred and detested all terrorists categorically and wanted them out of our country and caught before they sneaked in. Now if she was asking if I was against torture yes I was and I was not about to argue about something we knew we totally disagreed about. This is my point- I have a an opinion. I have thought, prayed, read and thought some more on it. I can express it without been accused of horrible motives. After all wasn't there a time when torture was a bad thing? Period.