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[Prev|Next|Index] Thu, Feb 22, 1996 Chris Cullum
The Undiscovered Country
By Chris Cullum
The First Amendment. The right to free and unadulterated speech.
One of the many reasons that our Founding Fathers chose to fight
against the most powerful army in the world. Their decision over
200 years ago remains the same today. The citizens of the United
States have once again given their freedoms over to a government
that is deaf to the voices of the people that they have been
chosen to govern. What would the Founders say about giving over
those freedoms that they risked their lives to protect and
guarantee to their offspring?
As we approach the 21st Century, we risk meeting new and amazing
technologies. The Internet is one such technology. While a few
people are offended by what is available on the Internet, others
rejoice in what could be called the ôgreatest medium of
communication ever to be given to manö. But the few are vocal and
the many must suffer their indignation. How can we allow the
minority viewpoint dictate our lives in a nation where majority
rules?
What can we do about all of this? The law is passed, the most we
can hope for is that the Supreme Court finds that law
UNCONSTITUTIONAL and decides to overturn it. We know how likely
that is. We have given up the freedom of speech, which one will
be next?
As a young man who is beginning life, I find this situation
intolerable in the extreme. I was always raised to revere the
great men who founded this nation of ours. Men who willingly
risked their lives, their fortunes, and their personal honor to
bring to this world a nation where EVERYONE could speak their
minds without fear of reprimand. I was taught to hold onto my
freedoms. I was taught to fight for what I believe in. My
ancestors did, both in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil
War. Whether or not my Southern ancestors where correct is not
the point. They, like the Founding Fathers, fought for their
beliefs. I can only learn from their example and hope that I do
their memory justice. With my right to free speech taken away,
what do my children have to look forward to when they become
adults?
They will have to pay for the sins of their ancestors. If I donÆt
fight to regain those rights, then my memory would only bring
shame to their hopes, dreams, and their future. The First
Amendment. The right to free and unadulterated speech. One of the
many reasons that our Founding Fathers chose to fight against the
most powerful army in the world. Their decision over 200 years
ago remains the same today. The citizens of the United States
have once again given their freedoms over to a government that is
deaf to the voices of the people that they have been chosen to
govern. What would the Founders say about giving over those
freedoms that they risked their lives to protect and guarantee to
their offspring?
As we approach the 21st Century, we risk meeting new and amazing
technologies. The Internet is one such technology. While a few
people are offended by what is available on the Internet, others
rejoice in what could be called the ôgreatest medium of
communication ever to be given to manö. But the few are vocal and
the many must suffer their indignation. How can we allow the
minority viewpoint dictate our lives in a nation where majority
rules?
What can we do about all of this? The law is passed, the most we
can hope for is that the Supreme Court finds that law
UNCONSTITUTIONAL and decides to overturn it. We know how likely
that is. We have given up the freedom of speech, which one will
be next?
As a young man who is beginning life, I find this situation
intolerable in the extreme. I was always raised to revere the
great men who founded this nation of ours. Men who willingly
risked their lives, their fortunes, and their personal honor to
bring to this world a nation where EVERYONE could speak their
minds without fear of reprimand. I was taught to hold onto my
freedoms. I was taught to fight for what I believe in. My
ancestors did, both in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil
War. Whether or not my Southern ancestors where correct is not
the point. They, like the Founding Fathers, fought for their
beliefs. I can only learn from their example and hope that I do
their memory justice. With my right to free speech taken away,
what do my children have to look forward to when they become
adults?
They will have to pay for the sins of their ancestors. If I donÆt
fight to regain those rights, then my memory would only bring
shame to their hopes, dreams, and their future.
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