It seems that personal opinion is a right in a democracy unless it offends someone. Is this how it should be or just a restriction of freedom?

For example, a majority likes this certain thing, but there are some people who don't for some reason. If they stay quiet, then the majority remain undisturbed. If they do say something about it, then the majority is offended and they are told to shut up. They are told that they are wrong and should be rejected indefinitely.

Now, imagine that you are arrested and thrown in jail without good reason. You protest your incarceration, which is then treated with punishment. The guards then punish your prisonmates as well, since all prisoners are treated as a whole as a way to minimize insubordination. You are seen as a prisoner just like everyone else and only identifiable by a number. You know that you have done nothing wrong and would do everything possible to get out of there. Unfortunately, the other prisoners see you as a troublemaker due to your verbosity. Now, will you crumble under pressure or insist upon your innocence?

What if you were a guard? Your colleagues start abusing the prisoners with both physical and mental torture. You know that it is wrong, but can you protest against your fellow guards? What if it is your superiors who condone it?

It's like being a child who knows that drug addiction is bad, but can't really say it out loud since both your parents are addicted. You'd want to stop them, but they beat you down for it. You want to do the right thing, but you can't stop them.

Against a tyrannical government, do you have the power to resist? You may have a group of rebels fighting for the same cause, but your numbers are inferior to that of the military. You know that your cause is just, but it is either obey or be crushed.

How about a culture that defends its ways with zeal through killing those not of their ilk? Some may attempt persuading them otherwise, but these people are driven by their religion. The world states its concern only to be answered with anger. They continue to wage their holy war, even though the rest of the world suffers.

Scaling things back down, let's say that you stated a personal opinion, which is shot down because it offended someone. Some think it's right, while some think it's wrong. Living in a democratic country is supposed to entail the freedom to express it, but the offended party insists that you shut up.

With these scenarios set, where does opinion stand now?