One of the great joys of my professional life was teaching civics and government. “Your rights end where the next man’s nose begins” I would always say. I heard that in college and despite not knowing it's exact origins, I rehashed it anyway. The point is you have the freedom to do whatever you want as long as you don't hurt others in the process.
It is our right to protest. It was one of the first ideas the framers had when writing the Bill of Rights. The first amendment encompasses many of the freedoms that we embrace the most. You have the right to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. I am a strong believer in these rights and I recognize everyone's freedom to exercise them. Protest whatever you want and despite my opposition, I will acknowledge your right to protest. Even though the protester below makes my blood boil, I will respect their rights to display this incredibly insensitive poster. Just like when my blood boils to see an American flag being burned.
It is our responsibility to not harm others while exercising those rights. This is where the next man's nose begins. While I'm happy to celebrate the free speech rights of all our people, I'm a little more critical of how people exercise their responsibilities. The visual of armed protesters is definitely off putting. Until you do your homework and find out that it is not new. These pictures were taken about 50 years apart. Michigan protesters on the left wanting to re-open their state and Black Panthers on the right protesting a gun control bill in the Washington State Legislature. Both are menacing photos of conveying a message in an extreme way.
American citizenship is challenging. I think it was meant to be by the framers of the Constitution. They laid out what our given rights were, but not the responsibilities of the citizenry to exercise them. They left that to us. Not being aware of our responsibility to each other or disregarding it takes us to a dark place. Our present day protesters have a legitimate message. They have the right be heard, but showing up in mass during a pandemic and openly brandishing firearms is not responsible. Instead of activism, the intimidation and aggressive behaviors used border on terrorism. I hate to use such a strong word, but we have to face the facts.
As I sit and type this, I am exercising my right to free speech. In no way shape or form will I defame anyone or commit libel or slander in the process. That is my responsibility. I know exactly where the next man's nose begins. If we all can do this, maybe protest turns into dialog and maybe division can turn into consensus. We are stronger together than we are apart. History has been a great teacher in that regard. Pushing us into extremes will not allow any progress. Protest all you want, but be responsible in being heard. You never know who may be hurt in the process.
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