Every day I hear about some “controversial comments” someone makes and regardless of my opinion of whatever comments that are made, are we replacing our First Amendment, which is “freedom of speech”, with “freedom of popular speech”? Because it seems like our ever intelligent society is complaining and boycotting when something isn’t what they want to hear.
Sure, we all say dumb shit but don’t we have a right to say it? Or is this a pick-and-choose scenario? Aren’t we to rejoice for that freedom to voice? Protesting the National Anthem? So what? Isnt that a form of free speech? Again, maybe not popular speech but free nonetheless. Wasn’t it my dads service what helped make that possible? Oh wait, he was spit on when he returned. Where is his justice for that? Nobody wants to own up to THAT form of “free speech” do they?
You dont see anybody stepping up saying “I was one of the hippy anti-war douche-bags that spit on soldiers when they returned from Vietnam.” Why not? Another example: The executive director of the Kansas City library system says he is “outraged” that prosecutors continue to pursue charges against a man who was arrested for simply asking controversial questions during a library discussion about the Middle East peace process. Author and diplomat Dennis Ross was leading a discussion at the library back in May when the incident happened, but the library system only recently went public about its opposition to the arrests and charges. It seems after Mr. Ross finished speaking, he took a question from Jeremy Rothe-Kushel who asked if Jewish Americans should be concerned about actions by the U.S. and Israel that amount to “state-sponsored terrorism.” When Rothe-Kushel tried to ask another question, a private security guard grasped his arm, followed by an off-duty police officer, both employed by the Jewish Community Foundation. Rothe-Kushel then shouted, “Get your hands off of me right now!” Steve Woolfolk, director of public programming for the library, tried to intervene but then both men were arrested and now are facing charges in city court. Rothe-Kushel is charged with trespassing and resisting arrest and Woolfolk with interfering with an arrest. R. Crosby Kemper III, executive director of the city’s library system, said “we’re going to be living in a different kind of country” if people can be arrested for asking questions at a library. He also said the private security guards had no right to remove a patron for asking a question. (Kansas City Star) This just goes to show that we are molding our nit-picky, double standard society into a country of complainers with no real direction other than the path to the fridge, remote or computer chair while sharing one thought.
