FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OUR MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT

I watched on TV as a young black girl, probably a student, explode in a profanity laced tirade against a professor at Yale University. Her mother must be very proud. The issue was a letter which the professor’s wife apparently had written stating that people should be a bit more tolerant of others choices of Halloween costumes and not be so offended. Seems innocent enough to me, but no. According to this young lady, along with others in the perpetually offended community, it was not innocent. This young lady apparently believes she should not have to face any expression that displeases her. The new thinking seems to be that no one should ever have to experience offense, period, and that no one has freedom of speech or expression that is offensive to her. Well I’ve got some bad news for this young girl. In this free country we do have that freedom and if she is offended by anything someone says, tough. She, nor anyone, is guaranteed a life free of offense.

There is a serious movement on some campuses today to repeal the First Amendment. In other words, some want the right of free speech to be curtailed so as not to be offensive to anyone. Certain words cannot be used. Historical flags must be destroyed. History must be rewritten to keep anyone from being offended. As a test of this new thinking, independent filmmaker Ami Horowitz recently visited Yale University attempting to get signatures on a petition to repeal the First Amendment. In less than an hour he had fifty signatures. These obviously spoiled youngsters have no knowledge of what this country is all about.

Today I offer you this lesson. Some say certain lives matter. Really? Do you want your life to matter? Then do something that matters. Create, build, discover, do anything that makes your life and others better. Get an education, get a job, respect law, be a good citizen. That’s how you make your life matter. One matters because of who they are and ultimately what they do, not what they are. No group in this country should be separated out for any special reward or punishment simply because of their race.

We are rapidly approaching a point in this country when the majority will no longer tolerate the whining and complaining of any minority group. If you are a citizen of America, you already are ahead of most of the world. How many people throughout this world do you think would trade places with the poorest American living in the worst ghetto? I would guess millions.

So then part two of the lesson today is to look around you. See what you are blessed to have. To the young lady screaming profanities at the Yale professor, how many people do you suppose would love to be a student at one of the most prestigious universities in the world? You are fortunate beyond your wildest dreams. If you don’t mess it up by your terrible attitude and your foul mouth, you will probably graduate with the prospect of a great career and fantastic earning potential.

All of us have the choice of being a force for good or being a part of the problem. As Americans we are all guaranteed opportunity but there is no guarantee for success. That is determined by our talent, our intelligence, and our hard work. This world is going to continue to need intelligent movers and shakers. The society of the perpetually offended will rightfully fall by the wayside.

Ron Scarbro