by Steve Osborn
The First Amendment to the Constitution reads, “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.“
When we accept the government’s (Federal, State or Local) requirement as to time and place to protest or demonstrate; When we agree to demonstrate only far from where the demonstration needs to take place; when we agree to limit the scope of our grievances to avoid embarrassing the officials we are trying to wake up, then we are voluntarily giving up that First Amendment right.
What is not understood by most people is that the Bill of Rights does not give us permission to exercise the Rights of Man, it forbids the government from interfering! Read the Bill of Rights, read the Constitution. Then look at what the government has usurped with its misnamed PATRIOT ACT and the other acts of similar ilk that illegally cancel out the Constitution and its first ten amendments.
When We the People cannot stand in front of the White House and make our grievances known, we might as well be demonstrating in front of the Reichstag in 1930’s Germany. The results will ultimately be the same.
Amen !
Great article. Very poignant. I have been worried about the US’ decline into something-other-than-a-republic for a few years now. The worst part is, it doesn’t seem matter who is in office.
Wow… we’re not allowed to protest in front of the P.O.T.U.S.? That’s disappointing…
The Bill of Rights and the Constitution are nothing more than artifacts of bygone era. The government of this country will never reverse itself, once started down the path of fascist totalitarian rule, a government can never be reversed…only overthrown.
Horseshit.
You have no more right to protest at whim, on you’re particular terms than you do to yell fire in a crowded theater.
The world would suck indeed if everyone could throw a teenage temper tantrum in the middle of the streets every time they think their self righteous indignation (read: party in the streets) should be on display.
Actually, Dwindle, I think that the decision regarding “fire” in a theater was incorrectly decided. The founding fathers would have allowed you to yell “fire” but would have held you responsible for your actions, i.e. someone was injured as a result of your action. By preempting speech, and slicing when and how your right could be infringed, SCOTUS started down the slippery slope that made any speech dependent on individual or societal whims, as opposed to the absolute free speech that the founders envisioned. Responsibility and accountability, not prohibition, should be driving behavior. Now we are subject (or make subject to)whatever society (even a totalitarian one) thinks is harmful speech. A moving target, indeed.
Dwindle it ain’t about you. It’s about solid grounding for liberty. We all know fascism is comfortable, for a while. That’s what cowards like you want. A self-righteous fantasy.
Isn’t it convenient for some two bit arm chair wannabe conservative to claim there’s nothing lost because according to his loyal highness it’s not expression, it’s a tantrum?
And that lame fire in a theater argument. You can’t kill people either but there’s no law that says you can’t throw rocks. If you’re going to argue, try not to be a lazy hack.
Would someone explain to me how speaking within earshot of your audience is equivalent to causing a panic and a stampede?
Morons.
I think that the right to free speech and the other rights we have, according to the constitution have evolved to mean so little to most. It’s a tantrum to you, a scream of help to another, etc. I am an atheist, I know I am right in my thinking. I also know that those with whom I disagree are also just as convinced as I am. They are also correct, I myself, would not want it any other way. The strength that comes from opposing viewpoints and exchanging opposite beliefs and ideas are exactly what has worked to build this society. If we had, in the past, limited free speech, freedom of worship, etc, we’d be a boring, ignorant mass, would we not? Let REAL freedom reign!
Does this right trample property rights of others? Do sit ins on private property as an example what happened at Notre Dame cross the line as to what is acceptable free speech? I think it does, some of these protest are deliberate attempts to promote violence.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, the US has been led on the road to a police state and the New World Order for years and now all the world leaders are announcing it. Everyone called it stupid conspiracy theoriests a few years ago but anybody who’s actually read into the past, into the Federal Reserve into the US and UK government who isnt a stupid fuck should clearly be able to see the path we are headed down.
To the contrary, the western world is a place where everyone can throw a teenage tantrum in the middle of the street. You can stand on the sidewalk and loudly talk politics as long as you want — as long as you hold a cell-phone to your ear. You just can’t stage a mature political demonstration on the sidewalk, and make the same comments out loud in the presence of the elected officials we have a right to petition for redress of grievances.
Teenage tantrum includes the 120db sound of a Harley Davidson, the loud exhaust pipes of a pickup truck, the billboards on city busses promoting pharamceuticals for sex drive and most marketing material on public display that appeals to immature drives, needs and urges.