This sounds pretty cut and dried, and why not? After all, the goal is for everyone to have a right to say what they mean, and mean what they say. There should be no time when someone is afraid to speak her or his mind, simply because their point of view may not be popular, smart, or even logical. Similarly, it should not matter if a person is right or wrong, or if she or he knowingly disseminates information that is a collection of blatant lies. No matter what anyone would like to say, as Americans they have the right to say it.
Or should they?
Of course, even Solomon in his infinite wisdom penned the unforgettable book of Ecclesiastes and let all of us in on a little tidbit of information that would behoove those who seek to exercise their freedom of speech at the most inopportune moments: there is a time and a place for everything.
Of course, here is the question: what is the time or place that spouting off one’s speech is perhaps neither in the right place nor at the right time? And a second question may be: who should oversee this proper time and place thing?
This is where the proverbial rubber meets the proverbial road. As you may know, there is a certain church denomination that has taken it upon themselves to exercise their rights to free speech at the funerals of slain service men and women. Sadly, their protests do little to help the survivors deal with their grief, and instead, the slain soldiers’ children and mothers are treated to such signs as “Thank God for IEDs", which is a reference to “improvised explosive devices.” (2)
In plain English, the church group is glad that the service men and women were killed in the line of duty and they are cheering on the thugs who accomplished it. There used to be a 300 foot barrier that was supposed to separate protesters from funerals, but this law has been struck down.
Surprisingly, it seems acceptable to still have buffer zones around voting precincts as well as abortion clinics. At this point it is anybody’s guess how long they will remain intact. But perhaps the laws should be stricken down, and maybe we should allow a free-for-all of public opinion. Maybe we should have graveside protesters mix with the mourners, and allow them to spout their rhetoric. And maybe we should allow protesters around precincts so that those who do decide to come out and vote can enjoy a little bit of grassroots politics just before casting a ballot. And maybe we should allow protesters to throw fake and real blood on women who are wrestling with the decision to kill their unborn children and really demonstrate the love Christ speaks of by screaming and yelling at them. But…is this really what the Founding Fathers had in mind? Is it not much more likely that they, too, had a more Ecclesiastical approach to free speech in mind?
- The First Amendment To The U.S. Constitution
- http://news.findlaw.com/ap/o/632/09-27-2006/4480001c9319bafa.html
