Originally posted at Daily Speech
Anyone who has read from this blog knows it is based on our most precious right - freedom of speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. It never ceases to amaze me when some people want to limit that free speech when it does not agree with their viewpoint and they resort to juvenile retorts: "If you don't like it here, leave the country!" Ironically, I could use the same juvenile retort back: "If you don't like free speech, leave the country!".
Here is an example of an email I recently received and my reply:
I trust you did not complain once during the Presidency of Bill Clinton.
I, sir, happen to love my country, enough to exercise my First Amendment
rights. If YOU do not like the Bill of Rights, you may wish to move to
Canada.
For the record, I support YOUR right to free speech, even if it is to praise
George Bush, criticize Nancy Pelosi or say WHATEVER you want.
Steve Wild
----- Original Message -----
From: "David f"
To:
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 3:31 PM
Subject: Re: Blog
> Wah wah wah, Bush lies, Bush is this. Get a life and stop with the
> pissing and moaning. You and your Liberal crybabies can go up to Canada
> if you don't liek it here. You have no idea how good we have it in the
> Country.
This poor George W. Bush supporter did not like my constant complaints against Mr. Bush. He wants me to realize how good I have it in this country and to just shut up. Never mind the fact only 30% of Americans support George W. Bush. That's irrelevant (and the fact is, it is irrelevant as far as my free speech rights are concerned - I could criticize even if 95% of Americans support George W. Bush).
For the record, I believed Bill Clinton should have been convicted by the US Senate in 1999 and removed from office, not because he had sex with a woman other then his wife, but because, as the chief executive of the United States, he committed a felony by lying to federal officials and a grand jury, period.
So, one's political party does not determine my support or criticism of a person, even though, in general, the Democratic party more closely matches my political persuasion.
But as the quote at the top of this page from George Washington says, free speech is our most precious right, a right were fighting for, a right worth dying to protect.
I don't need a juvenile to tell me to leave the country when I exercise that precious right. And yet, ironically, I support the juvenile's right to make that statement, no matter how juvenile, because I support his First Amendment free speech right.
So, yes, I love my country, the United States of America, so much, that I must speak out when I believe our country and it's leaders are heading in the wrong direction.
Criticizing our leaders does not dishonor our country or indicate a lack of love for the country. In fact criticism freely spoken greatly honors the United States. It proves to the world how free we are that we can openly criticize the most powerful leader on earth without fear of reprisal.