Speech Isn't Free

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

And there's no such thing as free speech.

Even in the great United States, everything comes with a price. We may not pay the price directly, but someone does. The writer and editor burning the midnight oil to get all the facts for a news article are paying with their time away from family. The factory worker on the double-shift again so he can afford to send his kids to the college he never made it to.

...and the military members and their families who worry and wonder if they'll share another day together.

As the saying goes, "Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and most of them stink." Freedom of speech is supposed to allow us to express those opinions openly, without fear of reprisal. I get that, and I support that wholeheartedly. I have my own opinions which may not be popular with some who find this blog, or read other things I have written in the past. But I still have the ability and legal protection to express those thoughts and opinions I want to share.

Within reason, of course.

What's that? "Within reason"? You can say whatever you want, where you want, and no one can stop you. That's the law, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. What is this "reason" you think limits us?

It is exactly that. REASON. The difference between sentient, thinking beings, and raw, emotional animals. The First Amendment protects our individual right of expression. It guarantees that what your opinion may be, and how you express yourself, is a freedom that should not be limited by law. The battle over protecting this freedom has been fought over and again, on the battlefield and in the courtroom.

The problem today though is people forget common sense. Boundaries are no longer sacred, lines get crossed, and one person's opinion sparks confrontation. Just because we are allowed to express ourselves openly doesn't excuse us from thinking. There is a right way - and a wrong way - of expressing displeasure and a difference of opinion. Writing letters to newspapers, opinion emails to television stations, and other correspondence with our elected officials is one thing. Taking our frustrations out on one lone individual who isn't truly the cause of the problem, or responsible for the issue, is entirely out of hand.

Common decency can't replace common sense. But such is becoming almost commonplace now. And it's getting worse, when a grieving family is forced to put up with protestors who demonstrate right outside the church where they are holding the funeral for their dead son, killed in the line of duty while serving in the Army. The family sued the protest organizers, won their case, but then it was overturned on appeal - to the point where the grieving family was ordered to pay the legal fees for the protestors! This case is now going to the U.S. Supreme Court - and will surely be a landmark decision.

I fully support the freedom of speech. Even if I don't agree with those protesters, they have the right to their opinion. But I don't support their actions - the lack of common sense and common decency to allow the family to grieve is just wrong to me on so many levels. People want to stand up and say something but when the push comes, they don't want to take responsibility for their actions, and want everyone else to pay for their poor judgement.