The American government gives its people the right to free speech and we are basically advertised as "the land of the free", but other than that, how similar are these two governments? The people of District Twelve know how horrible their government is but do nothing because they are afraid of what it will do to them. Katniss tells the reader, “When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I told her about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the distant city called the Capitol. I eventually realized that this would only lead us to more problems. So I learned to hold my tongue and transform my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts. I do my work quietly at school. Just make polite small talk in the public market. I discuss little more than trades at the Hob, which is the black market where I make most of my money. Even at home, where I am less agreeable, I avoid discussing thorny topics. Like the harvest, or food shortages, or the Hunger Games. (Collins 6). Katniss has learned to keep the Capitol's wrongdoings to herself, just like most people in District Twelve. His silence in a sense means accepting the inequality created by his government. After Katniss and Peeta win the Hunger Games by weakening the rulers of Panem, the government is furious. Haymitch, Katniss' mentor, was able to do this