For the Last Time, Free Speech is a Right Given at Birth

Nobody has the right to take away from whatever I want to say. That is the essence of free speech and the very first constitutional amendment to the United States. This right is not earned, it is natural right that is given to you at birth. You don't have to do anything to earn it, and nobody can ever take it away from you even if they want to. If they do, they're violating your rights. They leave their own rights to as many violations as you can think of.

Free speech is a difficult right to protect, however. The only way to do so is to exercise your own views. To protect free speech you must use free speech. Only once you use it is it impossible to take it away.

Trying to draw a "borderline" on free speech can never succeed in an American society. We are not Europe. We are not most of Asia. There is no worry about Nazis, ethnic tensions, or a dictator. This is part of the reason I believe the Patriot ACT to be unconstitutional. Allowing the FBI to monitor our activities is just plain wrong. There is no "if you've got nothing to hide, why are you scared?" logic. If the FBI or CIA so much as senses a whif of the mere chance that you're a terrorist, they can put you away forever, period.

So what am I saying? First, lobby your local congressman and senator to pass legislation stopping PATRIOT ACT abuse. Secondly, I'm saying no successful limit on free speech will ever happen.

The fact is, in this day and age, information doesn't stay still. Unless the information is a top secret classified government project involving military technology or Canada, it will find its way to somebody who shouldn't know. Even more so, most groups are harmless.

Take a look at NAMBLA. The North American Man Boy Love Association. Some people would assume that such a sick organization should be shut down. However, those people are idiots because they don't know what NAMBLA does.

Ok, to clear things up, NAMBLA members don't actually practice homo-pedophilia. They are still law abiding citizens, for the most part. They don't print "homosexual propoganda" (an idiotic phrase since homosexuality is not a life choice but literally a physical and mental trait), they do not go and sodomize young children. Their goal is to pass legislation making pedophilia legal. While this might sound bad, in practice they have no power anyway. Outlawing them would set a bad precendent to allow the government to outlaw groups "in the name of public decency." Give them their free speech. It doesn't hurt you, unless you're a homophobe, in which case screw you (not literally).

Then look at the KKK. This group is just pointless. In these days of terrorists and skinheads, the KKK is obsolete. If it so much as moves a finger every member is arrested. Let them have their free speech, they're just dogs barking.

What I'm trying to say is that you really can't limit free speech effectively. The "fire in a theater" example is about as close as anyone will ever get. Less is just anarchy, which doesn't protect free speech at all, and more would lead to a slippery slope.

If you advocate more restrictions on free speech, you are advocating a system that, slowly but surely, will lead to the US government being able to quash dissent. When that day arrives, not even the 2nd amendment will save you.