Saturday, July 01, 2006
The Anti-Free Speech Amendment
Would you be ok with someone throwing the original Mona Lisa in the trash can?
What about throwing away a poster-print of the Mona Lisa?
Would you be appalled if someone got the original copy of the US constitution wet and let it disintegrate?
But would you be angry if I put my pants in the washing machine with a pocket-copy of the constitution still in them?
So why do politicians raise such a fuss over people’s choice to make a statement by burning a $25 replica of the American Flag? We must make a fundamental distinction between destroying a priceless, antique symbol, such as the original constitution or the original American Flag, and destroying cheap copies of that symbol.
Democrats and Progressives have made the conscious decision to value all of the first amendment rights this country affords to its citizens. This is not as simple a decision as it might appear. It’s not easy for Progressives to accept that some people will print giant pictures of aborted fetuses to protest a woman’s right to choose. It is not easy for Conservatives to accept that some people will protest against a currently occurring war. And It’s not easy for almost anyone to accept that some people, such as the Westboro Baptist Church, have begun to protest American soldiers’ funerals. But as much as these actions turn our stomachs, our nation was founded on citizens’ rights to say whatever they want about our government.
The American Flag is a symbol of these freedoms that Progressives value so highly. Why on earth would we take away a citizen’s right to use this symbol of free speech in an act of free speech itself? It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Amending the constitution – the same invaluable, idealistic document that protects free speech – to restrict citizen’s right to use a symbol of American freedom in their speech is an affront to American values and citizens’ rights. Our truly progressive leaders have taken a stand against this hypocrisy. But these reasonable, value-driven, and consistent politicians are losing ground. I hope you will join them and help restore sanity and values to our government.
What about throwing away a poster-print of the Mona Lisa?
Would you be appalled if someone got the original copy of the US constitution wet and let it disintegrate?
But would you be angry if I put my pants in the washing machine with a pocket-copy of the constitution still in them?
So why do politicians raise such a fuss over people’s choice to make a statement by burning a $25 replica of the American Flag? We must make a fundamental distinction between destroying a priceless, antique symbol, such as the original constitution or the original American Flag, and destroying cheap copies of that symbol.
Democrats and Progressives have made the conscious decision to value all of the first amendment rights this country affords to its citizens. This is not as simple a decision as it might appear. It’s not easy for Progressives to accept that some people will print giant pictures of aborted fetuses to protest a woman’s right to choose. It is not easy for Conservatives to accept that some people will protest against a currently occurring war. And It’s not easy for almost anyone to accept that some people, such as the Westboro Baptist Church, have begun to protest American soldiers’ funerals. But as much as these actions turn our stomachs, our nation was founded on citizens’ rights to say whatever they want about our government.
The American Flag is a symbol of these freedoms that Progressives value so highly. Why on earth would we take away a citizen’s right to use this symbol of free speech in an act of free speech itself? It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Amending the constitution – the same invaluable, idealistic document that protects free speech – to restrict citizen’s right to use a symbol of American freedom in their speech is an affront to American values and citizens’ rights. Our truly progressive leaders have taken a stand against this hypocrisy. But these reasonable, value-driven, and consistent politicians are losing ground. I hope you will join them and help restore sanity and values to our government.
