“Freedom of speech” is not without limitations. For example, in 1919, (Schenck v. United States) the Supreme Court ruled that speech that presented a “clear and present danger,” a concept popularized by the thought of the random shouting of “fire” in a crowded theater, was not protected by the First Amendment. The criteria were later narrowed in 1969 (Brandenburg v. Ohio) to speech that promoted “imminent lawless action,” referring to action that could bring about physical harm to persons or property. Beyond that, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits, among other things, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to assemble peaceably or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It is, then, an unconscionable and intolerable (not to mention unconstitutional) state of affairs that sees a group of citizens — the elderly and veterans among them — arrested and fined for exercising their right to peaceably assemble and for speaking freely regarding their grievances through the instrument of song in the Wisconsin State Capitol. Under the authority bestowed upon its forces by Governor Scott Walker, the Capitol Police have acted in a despicable manner, manhandling the peaceful demonstrators, even trampling upon this nation’s flag in the process, operating with complete impunity and disregard for the law of the land as stated in the Constitution. They have become Walker’s Gestapo, whose tactic it was to serve their masters, civil liberties be damned. The SS officer Werner Best, onetime head of legal affairs in the Gestapo, summed up this guiding principle when he stated, "As long as the police carries out the will of the leadership, it is acting legally." (Shirer, William (1960). The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. New York City: Simon & Schuster.) In inciting these illegal arrests by the Capitol Police, it is Walker himself who has overstepped the boundaries of free speech as set forth by the Constitution and the Supreme Court, promoting “imminent lawless action” to be taken by those officers. This is not the kind of governor a “forward” looking state deserves. Indeed, Scott Walker is not a leader any state or country deserves.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 22:15:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015