Free Speech vs. Intolerance
“I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Very wise words from a man now long dead and though its meaning still rings true today, it’s spirit is loooong dead. I remember these words from grade school. It was the fist thing that made me fall in love with democracy, history, and our great country. But as the years have passed, I have held those words close to my heart where as the rest of the country much rather soon forget them. Because where I see liberty others see restraint; where I see unity others see division; where I see the best part of America, others condemn it as its only drawback. Because the biggest problem in America isn’t global warming, or over population, or even the economy; its the people.
This made the front page of the Times!
Now the First Amendment protects this man’s right to say and burn whatever he likes in protest so long as its peaceable, but is hatred peaceable. He has no cause, no greater political agenda, no movement for which he belongs to other than the church; all he has is his message, which is one of hate. And its blind hatred. He knows nothing of the people he hates except that a small fraction of them are trying to terrorize and destroy our great country.
Now for most of you out there, that’s enough. But if that’s so you should hate a lot more than just Muslims. For one you should hate Christians because guess what, Hitler was a Christian and he tried killing all sorts of people. Did the world or even individual countries rally behind hating all Christians for the actions of this one? NO. Why? Because previous generations were a bit more level headed, not much but a bit. But today this one religion(Islam) has taken a ton of flack for the actions of a small fraction of them. So much so that they can’t even build houses of worship without every asshole coming out of the wood work to protest it. These people are Americans too and they are entitled to do, pray, and be anywhere they like in America as much as anyone else.
Grade A douche bag!
As I mentioned earlier, despite all the negative things I have to say about this man and his message he has every right to say it. Just as every other American has as well. But should this hatred be tolerated? To its fullest. Should we all be burning Korans? No fucking way. Hate who you want, feel what you want, do what you want, but show some common sense and restraint. If you want to burn Korans in the privacy of your home go for it! But to make an organized event to do only that just for the sake of hate, I’m sorry but your First Amendment rights are about to be overstepped. Because there is nothing peaceable about hate. There is nothing good about restricting the rights of a few, or persecuting a small or large group of individuals, or sending a message to the world that even though we think we’re better than you we’re gonna drop down and sink to a level lower than you. All this man(any all those who act exactly like him regardless of who they are hating) is out to accomplish is to make us worse than we are. To take a step backward rather than forward. To show our enemies and anyone who wished to harm us that we are lower than them and deserve any ill that comes our way.
The sad thing is this man isn’t the problem, we the people are. We give these men power, we spread their messages, we keep hate alive. And though I thoroughly disagree with this man and all like him, I would do anything to protect their right to say it. But I’m in the minority because even though I value liberty, those who listen and follow these men don’t. Everything about their message says “I disagree with you, so you gots to go!” And the fires of hate burn brightly in America because of this man and many like him, because as bad as they are the people listen and follow them. Unfortunately in today’s world the worst part of America is Americans, because each and every day they give us shining new reasons as to why OUR GENERATION SUCKS!
This was added 9/13/10
Thankfully due to everyone’s protest, from the Muslim community to the President himself, this hate monger did not go through with his bonfire. But it does not detract from the fact that he and everyone like him who goes out there daily spewing hate is a problem in this country because we the people still give them power. I’m sure there were hundreds of people on Saturday who were just madder than a hornets nest that he didn’t burn Korans. OUR GENERATION SUCKS!
