I'm living in a world populated by scared people and I'm tired of it. It seems that the biggest fear that people have is that they might have to listen to something they don't agree with. I have lots of opinions, and yes, I think they're all right. This used to be an obvious point that anyone with a grain of intelligence understood. Why would I hold an opinion that I thought was wrong? Come on, people! Instead of getting offended that I think you're wrong, open your mouth and have a conversation and try to prove me wrong. If I really am wrong, don't you care enough to help me out?
This is the whole point of free speech. There is an assumption that with free speech, honest debate will be the way of life in a society and with all that debate going on, truth will win out. Free speech is actually just that: talking freely about ideas. I think the result our Founding Fathers were aiming at was that we would have the one necessary tool to find out what is right. Burning flags and running naked and all the antics that are protected as "free speech" are stupid acts of immature people who are frustrated that the rest of us think that what they believe is wrong and so they're going to offend us. Free speech is talking amongst ourselves to mull over what we all believe in an attempt to arrive at a consensus that is just.
That being said, I am fed up with being told, "You can't say that!" And I'm fed up with people who will not extend common courtesy to me because I believe things that they don't believe. Your challenge for the day is to quit being a control freak and allow people to actually be themselves. If someone says something you don't agree with, say so. Ask why they believe it and explain why you don't. Speak and listen.
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