Dude, you have no Quran!

Freedom of speech is one of our most viciously guarded constitutional liberties. It is also our most misused and abused freedoms. Common sense tells us that saying whatever we want all the time is a bad idea, like yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater, but what about some of the more controversial and inflammatory statements made by public figures? Should the constitution protect the right for hate mongers to spread discord through our fair country; to preach hate and violence and intolerance in our land founded upon the principles of religious freedom and tolerance. We have government watch lists full of Islamic extremists, but who is keeping an eye on the increasing number of conservative extremists flinging fear and hate hiding behind a bible? At what point do we as a nation say "Enough is enough!" and use a little common sense when protecting free speech? That is exactly the question being asked in this post from the Time website.

How Should America Handle Extreme Speech?

As an English major/aspiring writer, I support free speech as much as anyone. However, I refuse to believe that our Founding Fathers intended for the United States Constitution to allow these extremists to openly hurl verbal attacks at another religious group. The constitution allows for the separation of church and state, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to speak our minds. But where does the constitution make allowances for those preaching intolerance to stand in a park, built with public funds, and openly burn the sacred religious texts of another belief system? Can you say it is not the governments place to interfere when one religion openly wishes harm on another religion? Or when white supremacists march through a city preaching hate of other races and ethnicities? If, as the law of the land states, all men are created free and equal, how can we as a nation continue to stand for the mistreatment of our brothers and sisters by these men and women with their words of hate and oppression?

If everybody has a right to free speech, lets start using ours to drown out the voices of the spiteful and intolerant extremists befouling the air in this country we call ours.

Hello Hello

I have created this blog as a requirement for a government class I am taking at Austin Community College. I've been away from formal education for a little over three years and this is my first semester back in college since I was 20. I spent the spring of 2010 and re-evaluating my goals in life and have found my true calling to be a teacher. Taking this class is one of my first steps towards what I hope will be a rewarding career in education. I am hoping this class will serve to expand my knowledge of current events and the world political climate. 

My political views are varied, and I can't really say I lean left or right. I fully support gay marriage and a woman's right to choose. On the other hand, I am completely against gun control and the ever-increasing reach of the government into our private lives. My political activism so far is limited to voting in local elections and the 2008 presidential election. 

I took the civics quiz recommended by our professor, and scored 87.88 percent, which is apparently above average for the month of September. I don't know how accurate the statistics are, but according to the table provided by the website, we as citizens are more knowledgable about civic affairs than our elected officials. That fact scares the living (insert your favorite expletive here) out of me. I'm looking forward to this semester and reading everyone else's blogs.