Thursday, September 09, 2010

The First Amendment on Steroids

Build your mosque in Lower Manhattan. Burn some Qu'rans on Saturday because you want to make a point. March on Washington to Reclaim the Dream or to Restore Honor (whichever fits). Say the n-word eleven times on the public airways. Call the Tea Party out for its racism. Brandish signs with the image of the President as a witch doctor.

Do whatever you have to do in order to affirm that this is a free country.

Because this is a free country. You can build a mosque anywhere you want to as long as you have the appropriate permits. And if I don't like the fact that you are building such an edifice, I can picket outside of it during your prayer services. You can burn Muslim holy books (or Bibles, Torahs, Books of Mormon, etc) because it is your right and the fact that some soldiers might get killed in retaliation isn't your fault since you were just exercising your rights. At least YOU aren't killing American soldiers abroad. March whenever and wherever you want in Washington because this is the Nation's Capitol, and that is what it is here for--your voice is important and we want people to participate in the democratic process. Sure, say offensive things because you can and if it is in your heart to do so (and if you have heard others whose skin color allows their free and unfettered use of certain words and phrases), then by all means, please continue. When you encounter a group of citizens who are exercising their rights, you can get offended, but that is also your right. They have the right to offend you too so it is of mutual benefit.

In honor of our unencumbered right to piss each other off as necessary, here is what I have to say:

Forgive me.

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