The First Amendment to the Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This is a wonderful idea, a groundbreaking idea… an idea that makes this country what it is… and despite a very good-looking UK or Australia, I will go on a limb and say that it is things like this… in our Constitution and Amendments and Declaration… that make us the best country in the world. Sorry. We really are.
The freedom of speech and the press allows and encourages citizens and journalists and anyone to openly debate and question their government and laws and anything else they seem fit to take issue with.
There is no comparison of course, but look what happens in countries like Pakistan when someone expresses a contrarian point! Barbarians for sure, but so many places in the world have so few freedoms.
The right to protest and assemble and rally is all part of this… and as much as we all hate the Neo-Nazi rallies in Skokie, and the unbelievable hate mongers from the Westboro Baptist Church, we have to accept that they have the right to talk and speak and march.
However, and this is a big however, there are times when they use their freedoms to encroach on someone else’s, and as far as I know, this is what was being debated in the Supreme Court. And I have to say… they got it wrong!
Freedom of Speech is NOT freedom to cause pain and hurt or take away someone else’s privacy and dignity. And it is certainly NOT the freedom to take away someone else’s freedom. This goes way beyond not liking what someone else has to say. Today we awarded evil, hatred and ignorance not only a voice, but a mouthful of bile to incite violence and perpetuate prejudice.
I am baffled. Hate speech like the vitriol that drools out of the Westboro witches incites violence, it supports prejudice against many groups, and it intimidates and prevents those it attacks from fulfilling their own personal freedoms. I know it is a slippery slope, but I thought that this kind of speech was against many laws… and I certainly thought that the injured individual was allowed to pursue both criminal and civil charges.
Today’s ruling seems to say that they can continue to disrupt incredible times of sadness, loss and mourning, incite hate and potential violence and injure others, and those injured parties can do nothing about it. How is THAT freedom???
I love me some freedom of speech… Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are a triumvirate of morons. I said it… and nope, nothing… No one took me away, I’m still here… But I am saddened and confused with today’s ruling and am having trouble with the lopsided 8-1 score. Someone help me out here!
