Last Thursday after Glee I kept the TV on to watch Fox news. Their lead story was about some high school in south Texas where the cheerleaders are making banners with bible scriptures for their football games. The school district had them stop but the parents are claiming this is an issue of "freedom of speech" not a separation of church and state. They got some judge to set a court date to hear arguments from both sides... so until the beginning of October this little Texas town gets to gloat and tout their belifs.
Fox News asked people to comment on their Facebook page about the story and then remarked later in the news show how things were really "blowing up" on the comments.
I added to that blow up.
I saw there were several issues: the uber christians were all "we need religion back in our schools - this is a christian nation" and many staing that this was not school sponsored and therefore the studets had the right of "free speech". I was opposing them on both points! To the point that many people were posting rude and condesending comments directed directly to me, by name! And of course... there are lot of people praying for me too! [I'm really trying not to roll my eyes] lol
Anyway... I really tried to be respectful in all of my comments and I actually had others defending me too! I even got some new friend requests from it from people supporting me and my views.
I won't go into all of my comments about religion. But the freedom of speech issues I want to make a comment here. Even with the 1st Amendment we still have limits, particularly when freedom of speech conflicts with other values or rights. Limitations to freedom of speech may follow the "harm principle" or the "offense principle", for example in the case of pornography, religious belief or hate speech. You can't go into a crowded theater and yell "fire!" and you shouldn't be making fun of or bullying people who believe or look differently than you. You shouldn't be rude and obnoxious either. Just because you can say something doesn't always mean you should. My father always said: "your rights end where my nose begins."
It's an interesting topic.
It'll be interesting to see what happens with this case in Kountze, TX. Probably it'll be dragged through the courts and appeals for years.
What do y'all think?
5 comments:
I think your arguments are unencroachable (if that's even a word).
"Kountze" - please tell me the pronunciation of this word is "cunts".
NO ONE has a right to push religion down my throat, nor down anyone else's. separation of church and state; and no, this is NOT a christian nation. you want bible verses, go to the church of your choice.
It is always interesting to me that people will argue it is not a church/state issue but a freedom-of-speech issue but then their rationale is we need prayer back in the schools. If that is the desired outcome then they are defining it as a church/state issue.
It sounds a bit macabre - oogling pretty girls, shaking their breasts and wiggling their butts while shaking pom poms with scripture.
All I can do is quote Winston Churchill: "Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage."
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