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Thursday, March 15, 2012

1ST AMENDMENT UNDER FIRE Can the Secret Service Tell You to Shut Up?

The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the government from infringing upon the freedom of speech, the freedom of association and the freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Speech is language and other forms of expression; and association and petition connote physical presence in reasonable proximity to those of like mind and to government officials, so as to make your opinions known to them.

The Declaration of Independence recognizes all three freedoms as stemming from our humanity. So, what happens if you can speak freely, but the government officials at whom your speech is aimed refuse to hear you? And what happens if your right to associate and to petition the government is confined to areas where those of like mind and the government are not present? This is coming to a street corner near you.

Certain rights, like thought and privacy and travel, can be exercised on their own. You don’t need the government to cooperate with you; you just need to be left alone. Other rights, like those intended to influence the political process, require that the government not resist your exercise of them. Remember the old one-liner from Philosophy 101: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there, does it make any noise? Here’s the contemporary version of that: If you can criticize the government, but it refuses to hear you, does your exercise of the freedom of speech have any value?

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where are our law makers, our LEO, our Military Commanders? Why are you not arresting and charging the people attaching our Constitution, the highest crime in the land....weekly now we see constant attacks and attempts to thwart, bypass, ignore and destroy the US CONSTITUTION......the one YOU swore under OATH to uphold and PROTECT!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Its called money


Get over it... As long as there is money or power, but ultimately money, things won't change...


And no secret service can't but they will and they will try, and no one will fight so in the end yes they can and will...

Cory said...

Id love someone in washington to try to tell me to shut up... try to arrest me it will be the biggest fight youll have ever been in... The people are waking up to all of this .... how is the government gonna stop 300,000,000 people.... they cant they are hoping people do what they say like sheep..... isnt it funny how there is a party reversal now that is like the 60's.... being a republican now is akin to being a dem in the 60's or at least that is how the media wants to portray it

Anonymous said...

I don't think there is much difference between the 2 parties anymore. Congress is just one big clique, with the common goal of increasing their own personal wealth. All the bantering and bickering show on the house floor is for nothing more than a show for us. The deals are all made behind the closed doors of the congressional offices.

Anonymous said...

The problem today is representatives of the government tend to violate our rights and leave it up to us to challenge them in court, a costly and lengthy process.

Anonymous said...

You better believe they can. This is a serious world with serious threats. Grow up.

And to Cory....yea right, I know who you are, you're the guy that talks loud and badass thaen pisses himself when confronted. Pussy.

Anonymous said...

Where were all you guys under Bush when people got arrested simply for wearing anti-war t-shirts on the president's limo route? Where was the outrage then???