Do you know what gets me going, makes me into a raving lunatic willing to commit heinous crimes besides child rapists and murderers?
Picture by Jppi
People who sit around thinking only they have the right to an opinion that can be said or written out loud.
This past weekend I saw a story in my local paper about a teen in Cherry Hill, New Jersey being threatened by people because she challenged Michelle Backman to a debate on the Constitution. Minnesota representative Bachman is a tea party favorite and irritating in the way a one-note candidate can be.
People saw the girl’s letter and called her a ‘whore.’ People have anonymously made death threats against her which the police are not taking seriously. You mean you can’t tell the girl she is wrong and move on? You have to call her names that are not fitting to the situation to make yourself feel better?
I have been sitting on this outrage since bin Laden was killed and some felt that we should not have given the terrorist as much respect as we did show him after his death. God forbid you should state something like “I don’t want to celebrate that man’s death.”
I got hit by a friend on facebook for agreeing to that comment. That same conversation got hit by a military person trying to shame the original commenter. That military person later told me in a private message that you have to “earn the right” to free speech.
Really? Really?
So just who does have the right to free speech in this country. If it is only the military because they have ‘served’ how far is it to say only those who have been in combat or only those in leadership? Not too far in my opinion.
Mayflower Harbor by William Halsall, 1882; Image from Wikipedia.
Who else might have the only right to free speech in this country? How about only those people who can prove that they are related to the people from the Mayflower? That leaves us in a conundrum. Presidents Adams, J.Q. Adams, Taylor, Grant, F.D. Roosevelt, Bush and G.W. Bush (on both sides) are all descendants as are Sarah Palin, Hugh Hefner, Richard Gere and Alec Baldwin.
Remember when Alec Baldwin said he was going to move if G.W. Bush was re-elected? If you go by the rule that only Mayflower descendants can have free
Joseph Smith, Founder of the Mormon Church and descendant of a Mayflower passenger; Image from Mayflowerhistory.com
speech, Baldwin has the right because he is descended from John Howland as is the Bush family, Dr. Spock and Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church.
Websites state there are millions of descendants to the original Mayflower families and people simply do not know about it. Maybe it is you. I doubt if it is me because my family members came during the late 1800s till the 1910s. Some of my family have served in the army but I have not.
Does this mean I do not have the right to free speech? I hope that is not the case because I actually take time to vote in every election. I have missed only one in the last thirty years and I still feel guilty about it. Perhaps voting should be the only criteria. It requires effort to go to a voting booth and to register beforehand. You have to get off the couch and leave the cheese doodles for the dog.
Personally, I think only those people who actually vote should get the right to free speech because they are actually participating in the government that our forefathers created when they wrote the Constitution. Ah, the rub. It is in the first amendment stating that all shall have freedom of speech.
U.S. Constitution; Image from Wikipedia
Granted, there would be legal wrangling what is free speech. It would take a while before women received the right to vote and all persons would be granted to right to freedom from persecution that would prevent them from voting. But it is there – giving all of us the right to free speech.
You can be the most sensible person, the most faithful, the most obnoxious person in the country (Fred from Kansas, please stand up) or whatever mix you create. No one outranks anyone else. No one can ever be made nobility in this country. That means no one else has the right to free speech over another person NO MATTER WHAT.
It is all there in the Constitution. Try reading it some time.
Wow, Rumbly. I like the passion you shared here. Nothing creates a ruffling of feathers more quickly than the discussion of politics. You can learn a great deal about someone based on how s/he responds to a differing opinion. Those that engage in a dialogue are those that also engage in listening. Those that just spew accusations, well – yeah – it’s like an aggressive dog tied to a tree. The dog becomes aggressive because he feels trapped and threatened.
The uninformed and closed-minded American tends to bark and bite when confronted with facts. Makes me sad to witness. Makes me sadder when the barkers and biters make the news, and those having a healthy dialogue are ignored.
It is sickening. To threaten a girl because she spoke out against your party is simply wrong. I am willing to bet she just did her coursework in high school on the Constitution and cannot believe what she sees come out of the mouths of our politicians. And truthfully, to threaten and not listen is more than juvenile, it is barbaric. I thought our country was supposed to be above that sort of thing.
My sister & brother-in-law have very different opinions on politics & religion. Before they got married they discussed it quite frankly with each other. They didn’t want their difference to to tear them apart. My b-i-l is retired Air Force he told her at one point…
“My job was to give you freedom to have your own opinions and beliefs. I can’t take that away from you, it’s a part of who you are and some of the reasons I love you.”
It’s makes me sad that SOME military feel they only have the right to Free Speech or any other freedom they fought so hard for the rest of to have, but now want to take away?!?!?!?!?
It’s sad that GROWN people are bullying a teenage. i thought adults were to supposed to lead by example.
A well written post.
I find that attitude very sad. It shows an elitist belief system that is not supposed to be a part of our country. I thought that is what made us different; everyone have a say as opposed to the very few. Look at what that attitude has done in the Middle East.
But it is a part of a much larger loss of civility in our country, making me wonder if we ever had it. I am beginning to think those ‘nobler and gentle’ times are nothing but fairy tales told to make us yearn for something – something that never existed.
Hear hear, well said (written).
Hear is what I would do to make change.
Make your voice heard by calling Michelle Backman’s office and making sure she knows what her constituents are all about. It throws a negative light on the candidate to stand silent when she is the one the girl was addressing, keep copies of everything and send it registered.
I would also send this post to the Cherry Hill paper that you have read to the Op Ed editor.
I agree with you 100%. Most people would I believe. It’s the few crazies that make the most noise. You sometimes have to speak up to be heard.
Good for you for speaking out.
Good post – Regardless of political leanings, as American citizens, we all have the right to free speech. As far as that military persons comments that it’s a right earned – No it isn’t. It’s a right we are born with in the United States. As far as Amy Myers and her father go – People need to look further into Mr Myers complaints about threats against his daughter. Seems the school is denying that any death threats have been made to her school, and there has been no evidence of any published threats as he has stated. Someone has an agenda here and it apparently has backfired. Also, no political candidate is going to debate a 16 year old. I’m sure Amy is very smart, but not smart enough to debate a seasoned politician. I think young Amy Myers should challenge Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee to a public debate. Lee believed up until 2010 that North and South Vietnam still existed as two separate countries. She also believed as recently as 2008 that Neil Armstrong planted the American flag on MARS as opposed to the moon. I will at least give the young lady credit for being involved in government issues.
I think it is great to see someone so young interested in national politics. Perhaps this will encourage Amy to keep on going.
What I have read about Michele Bachman I believe young Amy would probably win a debate. The woman is truly a wacko. Having said that maybe someone would like to call me out. The right to disagree with our government and politicians is very important to me and those rights are certainly being tested in Wisconsin. Don’t get me started on our governor and legislature!
How many more months till you can recall?