AlwaysWrite
Addicted Member
English writer Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote the oft-quoted statement, “I disapprove of what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it.” That quote is often used to explain freedom of speech, and in the U.S., even if speech is vile or offensive, your right to say it is guaranteed by the Constitution.
Harshness and intolerance are at all-time highs. Demonstrations are met with counter-demonstrations that often result in violent clashes. In Charlottesville, the hateful message of white supremacists resulted in violence.
This sad tale was played out in Baltimore, Ferguson, New York City, Berkeley and elsewhere. Sometimes the violence stems not from attempts to counter a message but to shut down the message, and free speech is routinely shut down on college campuses.
Freedom of speech gives people the right to speak, but it doesn't give one the right to assault others, smash windows, riot, burn police cars, block public thoroughfares or incite violence.
Politicians refuse to talk to each other about the problem. Rather than find solutions based on compromise, they seek to exploit every issue for their own political gain. It’s obviously not enough to disagree on an issue, and anyone who disagrees is often depicted as the devil incarnate.
The nation is in a crisis. We need to have respectful discussions on many issues, but if we can’t trust our elected officials to do so, we need to do it ourselves, or we face the consequences of the dangerous path we are on.
Harshness and intolerance are at all-time highs. Demonstrations are met with counter-demonstrations that often result in violent clashes. In Charlottesville, the hateful message of white supremacists resulted in violence.
This sad tale was played out in Baltimore, Ferguson, New York City, Berkeley and elsewhere. Sometimes the violence stems not from attempts to counter a message but to shut down the message, and free speech is routinely shut down on college campuses.
Freedom of speech gives people the right to speak, but it doesn't give one the right to assault others, smash windows, riot, burn police cars, block public thoroughfares or incite violence.
Politicians refuse to talk to each other about the problem. Rather than find solutions based on compromise, they seek to exploit every issue for their own political gain. It’s obviously not enough to disagree on an issue, and anyone who disagrees is often depicted as the devil incarnate.
The nation is in a crisis. We need to have respectful discussions on many issues, but if we can’t trust our elected officials to do so, we need to do it ourselves, or we face the consequences of the dangerous path we are on.
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