We all know about the Bill of Rights. It’s a basic list of rights that cannot be taken away from the American citizen. The bill covers the rights that all human beings should have; or does it? The first article of the Bill of Rights is summarized as the right to freedom of speech. The article states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
So if I go out on a limb, I know that the above statement is saying that people in general have the freedom to practice what religion they want to practice, the freedom to say what they want, and the freedom to assemble and protest if they decide that something is not right, Right? In my opinion…these rights are not as basic as we think.
I’ve noticed throughout my lifetime that people certainly have these rights- but only to a certain extent. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Never talk about politics, money, or religion”? Why not? What made basic rights in our everyday lives something that is now taboo to talk about? So now, I can’t talk about the economy, I can’t talk about the Obama administration and I can’t talk about what is currently going on in any sect of religion. I realize that the expression is figurative; but only to a certain degree.
Take South Carolina representative Joe Wilson for example. An outburst in congress the other night during President Obama’s speech could cost him his political career. Obviously I see where yelling, “You lie!” to President Obama is probably not the best thing to do- but according to the Bill of Rights, doesn’t Representative Joe Wilson have the right to say what he’s thinking?
Or take public schooling. Those of you who went to public school know how much of a “no-no” talking about religion was. There would always be that parent calling up and saying, “Stop trying to convert my child to a religion that is not his or hers”. There would always be that teacher who tip-toed around the subject. And if the Bill of Rights gives us the freedom of religion, shouldn’t it also give us the freedom to talk about it as well?
I’m not saying that the Bill of Rights is dated or unnecessary. It is my personal belief that the Bill of Rights is the most important document in the United States to give people equality. However, if a person is to read between the lines, the articles are guidelines- guidelines in which people don’t always reap the benefits of. Sometimes what a person believes isn’t always the most popular route; but as John Mayer would say, “Even if your hands are shaking and your faith is broken...say what you need to say.”
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I would have to agree that to some extent, the liberties listing in the Bill of Rights are not always followed in American society. Even though it is a person's right to be able to speak their mind when they want to, a person must understand that they cannot just blurt out whatever they are feeling or want to say. They must have something to back it up, and they must try to do what they can not to hurt another person. A teacher is not allowed to talk about politics and religion for obvious reasons. At the young age that kids are at while they are attending public school, they are very impressionable. It is not right for a teacher to tell a student that one candidate is bad and another is not, or that one religion is bad and another is not. At this age, a child will believe what he or she is taught, and they deserve to make their own decisions as to what they believe in. I do believe that the government in lots of ways tries to shelter those that voice their opinion if it is negative towards what the government is doing. But I also believe that there is no way to stop that. No matter what the government will always be corrupt in some way. Having that much power over the people of the US will lead them to take steps that some may consider unconstitutional. I believe that overall, we have the right to voice our opinion and that our country has come a long way since its creation.
ReplyDeleteThe topic of the freedoms we as American citizens possess has always been and will always be a touchy subject. We claim to be such a free country, but at the same time we are brought up with our parents, teachers, and society constantly teaching us what is and isn't okay to say in public or to other people. Obviously, a good portion of this is out of respect and consideration towards others, which is something that I strongly agree with. But despite how much I push for kindness and consideration of others, I feel that at times, people hold too much back. I for one am not the kind of person that will speak up at an important meeting or go against the grain publicly about a debatable issue, but I really wish I were that type of individual. I believe we need more people in our world that are willing to take those risks.
ReplyDeleteIn looking at the example given about representative Joe Wilson, it is obvious that the way he went about expressing himself was both rude and inappropriate. But at the same time, maybe it takes a modification of his actions to bring about the change necessary in our world. Everyone is always afraid to say what they really feel- afraid that their remarks will be used against them as biased, prejudice, or just plain rude. In fear of being picked apart by others, they keep their feelings inside, and don't express their thoughts or ideas. But there is a nice way to say almost everything, and sometimes, if said in a way that is both respectful and appropriate, the ideas of these strong willed people can make our country and the world more open to change. If people would, as Andrea said, just "say what they need to say," we could challenge some of the policies and ideas that could really use some modification.
I agree that the basic liberties of US citizens, as stated in the Bill of Rights, are only applied to a certain extent. Although, I believe Representative Wilson had every right because of freedom of speech to say President Obama was lying, I also believe that there is a time and place for everything. Even though I don't agree with President Obama and his healthcare reform, as the President of the United States I believe he deserves the respect of a fellow politican to not be called out in the middle of his speech. Civility has been an major topic the past week, whether it is dealing with politics or athletics. Everyone should be allowed their freedom of speech, religion, and to assemble but also everyone is owed the right to basic respect, no matter who they are.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the Bill of Rights grants us the freedom of speech, the government as a whole also recognizes limitations on the freedom granted, especially when it conflicts with our other values and rights. Some forms of expressions can even be lawfully prohibited by law if they are highly offensive. A friend of mines father used to dj on the familiar, local station Oldies 103.3. When the war in Iraq first started back in March of 2003, he was immediately banned from playing the popular song “War” by Edwin Starr. The Station in order to prevent incorrect bias and turmoil, felt it would be appropriate to discontinue playing the song out of respect for the soldiers overseas.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I am sure most individuals have heard by now of the recent Kanye West /Taylor Swift incident at the MTV Video Music Awards this past Sunday. Although Mr. West does have the right to his own personal opinion, they way he articulated it, I feel, was highly improper and insolent. Joe Wilson’s public declaration of his internal opinion, I feel was similar to Mr. West’s presentation. We must agree that there is “a time and place for everything”, and although we have the right to our own viewpoints we must respect our fellow American’s stance on clinical issues. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). It is our job as citizens of these United States to not abuse our freedom, and distinguish the right moments to express our intimate standpoints.
I agree with what furnaric stated about people having to understand that they cannot always just blurt random things out in inappropriate situations. Ironically, the first amendment, which advocates freedom of speech, may actually hinder teachers and role models from freely voicing their opinions in order to secure the freedom of speech of their students. I'm probably making that sound more confusing than it is, but basically, sometimes role models should monitor their speech more closely simply because impressionable ones are guaranteed their freedom to believe what they want, which should come from their own free will rather than the influence of others. Now, of course the media and those who are important to us influence us to a certain extent. Children, vulnerable and impressionable at such young ages, learn from their parents and teachers, and adopt ways of life from the world around them. If influential figures impose too strongly a belief system on young children, they will never get the chance to form their own beliefs. Sometimes, this is what causes people to lash out and rebel against what they have been so used to all their lives, since they never had the freedom to do what they wanted to do. Of course, societal norms act as guidelines to what you can or cannot say, which protects the feelings of others. I believe that inappropriate remarks should not only be frowned upon, but acted on, so as to show that our society is not becoming too explicit or selfish (as some may argue it is). Basically, I agree with AYAV when she states that the Bill of Rights, as significant as it is in American history and culture, acts more as guidelines to a happy life than strict or overbearing laws.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on the subject of freedom of speech is very similar to that of jennyfur's. While I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and opinions and they have a right to express that opinion, I believe that people need to be wary of how they express their opinions on very touchy subjects. I believe that the men who wrote the First Ammendment of the Bill of Rights included freedom of speech while keeping in mind that human beings should have the decency to express their opinions without hurting others. One of my favorite quotes is: "It's not what you say, it's how you say it." Two people who have very similar opinions on the same subject will get different reactions out of people because of how they express those opinions. Let's take a common example: When a girl tries on a new outfit and asks her friends if they think the outfit makes her look bigger than normal, which friend do you think she'll respond better to? The friend who says, "You're right, you look fat." or the friend who delicately says, "That outfit just isn't the right style for you.. you look so much nicer in that black top you bought last week..." Do you get where I'm going with this?
ReplyDeleteThis girl will have very different responses with each of her friends who have the same opinion. While I agree that it is one of our most basic rights to express our opinions on any subject, I also believe that we need monitor how we express those opinions.
I feel it's true we have the right to voice our opinions but like demarco said, you have to watch how you say things. You have to respect others and their opinions just as you want to be respected. You have to word things politically correct so people will listen to you. Also, there's separation of church and state in the constitution which is why you can't talk about religion in public schools.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kathryn Eagan in that there is a time and place for everything. Depending on the people you are around determines what you can and can't say. Representative Wilson could have simply told his friends he thought Obama was lying and it wouldn't have been a big deal. Blurting it out in public isn't the best idea. Everyone has the freedom of speech but you have to watch what you say, how you say it, and where you say it.
Let me start out by saying that the Bill of Rights is a bit of a misnomer. A right is a man-made construct. There is no empirical evidence of such a thing (ie, we cannot objectify how, say, we all have the freedom to worship), we merely "hold these truths to be self evident." These apparent rights are things we are universally allowed to do under our government. So, really, they're more like privileges than rights (though, let's be frank, the "Bill of Privileges" just doesn't quite have the same zing to it).
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I'm not being a pessimist here. I agree that the Bill of Rights is the most important US document, and by no means should the government ever take that away (despite, as I've said, them being like privileges). But when we look at it from this perspective, it sheds some light on this issue.
The "freedom" we have under our government, similar to how our rights are technically not "rights" per se, is not freedom in its absolute form. Why? Because a government is fundamentally a means of control- hampering freedom. Absolute freedom is what one would call anarchy. It follows, then, that something with more freedom isn't always better, and, consequentially, more freedom in rights isn't necessarily better as well. Thus, we must compromise our freedom while being wary of too much control. There's a line we shouldn't cross on either side.
Joe Wilson may have not crossed either, but he crossed SOME line by violating etiquette. It doesn't matter what he said so much as he said something at all. Yelling out like that is completely rude and entirely uncalled for given the context of the situation. But, you're right. He doesn't deserve all of this punishment (especially when we look at how boisterous our friends in Parliament can be). But it really has nothing to do with rights here since no one said that he did not have the right to do so- its about reputation. In a political profession, where your reputation precedes you, it's not just about what you do, but how you do it. That is, your etiquette. The United States is not punishing Joe Wilson, individual politicians and people are. And, from there, his negative rep spreads like wildfire. Unfortunate, yes, but that's how it works.
As for your example of religion in public schools, it gets complicated when the right of one person and the right of another clash. If one person is free to worship, and another perceives this (in a public school) perceives this as an infringement on their own rights, could we say who is in the right here? Here its really a matter of the devil in the details- either could be right depending the specifics (and that's one of the many reasons why we have the judiciary system). Either way, I think it's ultimately up to the individual to know their own rights while being courteous to the right of others, and make a balance between the two.
When dealing with the Bill of Rights today, it is necessary to understand that they are not applied in society the same way that they used to. Instead of the Rights having s strict meaning to them, people almost view them as a "guideline" to follow. In regards to freedom of speech, it tends to have much wiggle room because almost everywhere you go; there is someone or something restricting you from being able to fully expressing yourself in words. Public school for example, doesn't only not allow kids to talk about certain things like religion, but they even go to the extremes and limit what words the kids can use in the Pledge of Allegiance.
ReplyDeleteGenerally speaking, when we go out in public we all tend to restrict ourselves with our words because we mean no harm and do not want to u unintentionally disrespect others. In addition, we want to be respected by others and we more or less have to be careful of how we say things, not what we say. Finally, relating to what Jennyfur said in regards to the Kanye West and Taylor Swift comment, there is a time, place, and way to say things. He absolutely has the right to think what he wants, but he doesn’t have to tell her, and certainly does not have to say it in the manner he did. There is just an unspoken rule of how we all should "regulate" our speech, in respect to others and ourselves.
In reference to the Bill of Rights, we must understand that freedom of speech and freedom of religion are literally "freedoms." What I mean by this is that when Representative Joe Wilson yelled, "You lie!" to the President, no one arrested him. He wasn't detained. He wasn't taken into custody. When he yelled that, he was breaking more of a code of etiquette or an unsaid law. And like demarco said, "it's not what you say, it's how you say it." When Wilson said that, it was neither the time, nor the place to say it; never mind the manner in which he said it. Also, in the case with the teacher blamed for forcing religion on a child, that teacher would simply receive a slap on the wrist from the parent, but nothing serious. My point is that we can say whatever we want; we just have to watch out for when and where we say it as to not offend anyone.
ReplyDeleteOften I feel as though people forget that they have the freedom to say what they want when they want to. When touchy subjects arise such as religion or politics, people tend to shy away from their true beliefs because they are afraid of upsetting someone else or offending them and their beliefs. However, imagine a world where people always utilized their freedom to speech. When does freedom of speech cross the line and become a matter of being rude and disrespectful?
ReplyDeleteI know that I would enjoy hearing more about people's religions and political views without them having to tiptoe around others to try and avoid discourse. I think we could all learn more about each other and even ourselves if religious and political conversations were not such taboo.
Now there is a difference from utilizing your right to say anything you want, and from saying things that nobody wants to hear. "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all". Be smart. Be respectful. Get your points across while keeping an open mind to other people's opinions and views. Participate in conversations when you are willing to learn as well as inform. Bring your opinions to the table without trying to shove them down other people's throats.