Coming Soon 👀 At the beginning of April, you’ll be
introduced to a brand-new GoComics! See more information here. Subscribers, check your
email for more details.
Sadly there are those that would gladly impose restrictions on a free press, inhibit free speech by punishing those they disagree with, and use the power of government to favor a particular religion, imposing it into public policy at the expense of others, instead of remaining secular.
Deeding, what the heck are you saying? Are you saying that the president should shut up because he’s always whining about people who don’t praise him? And that he threatens the free press because they’re mean to him?
Some commentors must have missed the 2013 DOJ investigation of reporters; the proliferation of “free speech codes” and shutting down opposing political discourse on college campuses, not to mention masked “youths” physically attacking people (ANTIFA). These phenomena didn’t start on January 20, 2017.
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights was originally proposed to assuage Anti-Federalist opposition to Constitutional ratification. Initially, the First Amendment applied only to laws enacted by the Congress, and many of its provisions were interpreted more narrowly than they are today. Beginning with Gitlow v. New York (1925), the Supreme Court applied the First Amendment to states—a process known as incorporation—through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
For more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
The so-called “free exercise” clause was intended to prohibit Congress from establishing a national church, a “Church of the United States” like the Church of England, or Sweden or Norway, which in turn could persecute the state churches. In 1976, seven of the 13 states were church-states, and the framers didn’t want the federal government to interfere with their religious liberty. Fast forward nearly 250 years and we have a totally different understanding of the free exercise clause: now we think any freedom of religion expressed in public is the same as congress establishing a national church! Fallen very far is right. But we have fallen because we don’t understand the context of our founding, that most of the people who fled to the new world did so to escape religious persecution. Freedom of conscience and expression was the bedrock of their thinking. Fascism is the opposite: it forces uniformity of thought and speech. Can anyone say “Hate speech”? Who is to define this term? Now we can declare any group we disagree with as haters. Welcome to fascism, 101.
blunebottle almost 7 years ago
AMEN.
Lyons Group, Inc. almost 7 years ago
Fallen very far…
DW Premium Member almost 7 years ago
Sadly there are those that would gladly impose restrictions on a free press, inhibit free speech by punishing those they disagree with, and use the power of government to favor a particular religion, imposing it into public policy at the expense of others, instead of remaining secular.
cdward almost 7 years ago
Deeding, what the heck are you saying? Are you saying that the president should shut up because he’s always whining about people who don’t praise him? And that he threatens the free press because they’re mean to him?
StoicLion1973 almost 7 years ago
Some commentors must have missed the 2013 DOJ investigation of reporters; the proliferation of “free speech codes” and shutting down opposing political discourse on college campuses, not to mention masked “youths” physically attacking people (ANTIFA). These phenomena didn’t start on January 20, 2017.
posstockhoarder almost 7 years ago
My only advice to his teacher is retire and drink heavily.
Andylit Premium Member almost 7 years ago
Sad but true. To listen to the snowflake brigade these days you would swear the Amendment was an absolute right to not be offended.
Yakety Sax almost 7 years ago
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights was originally proposed to assuage Anti-Federalist opposition to Constitutional ratification. Initially, the First Amendment applied only to laws enacted by the Congress, and many of its provisions were interpreted more narrowly than they are today. Beginning with Gitlow v. New York (1925), the Supreme Court applied the First Amendment to states—a process known as incorporation—through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
For more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
johbjacob almost 7 years ago
The so-called “free exercise” clause was intended to prohibit Congress from establishing a national church, a “Church of the United States” like the Church of England, or Sweden or Norway, which in turn could persecute the state churches. In 1976, seven of the 13 states were church-states, and the framers didn’t want the federal government to interfere with their religious liberty. Fast forward nearly 250 years and we have a totally different understanding of the free exercise clause: now we think any freedom of religion expressed in public is the same as congress establishing a national church! Fallen very far is right. But we have fallen because we don’t understand the context of our founding, that most of the people who fled to the new world did so to escape religious persecution. Freedom of conscience and expression was the bedrock of their thinking. Fascism is the opposite: it forces uniformity of thought and speech. Can anyone say “Hate speech”? Who is to define this term? Now we can declare any group we disagree with as haters. Welcome to fascism, 101.
johbjacob almost 7 years ago
1776
ishannon5289 almost 7 years ago
No, no, that is the one that protects you from any consequence of spewing hate. At least that is what some seem to think.
Tue Elung-Jensen almost 7 years ago
It can´t protect you from something you do willingly …
Daeder almost 7 years ago
Yeah, Zack. Just like the second amendment protects our right to get shot.