The unfortunate aspect of freedom of speech is that it allows people to say pretty much anything they want to say … even if the statement is rude, defamatory and distasteful.
I totally support freedom of speech. As a journalist, it is something that I have always believed in and never taken for granted. As a matter of fact, when I think of freedom of speech and the media industry, my mind often travels back four or five years ago when the Recorder newsroom met with journalists from parts of Africa and China.
During the meeting, our visitors told us how much they admired the United States for allowing its citizens (and journalists, in particular) the right to speak freely. The visiting journalists looked at our right to free speech as a privilege because such a thing was forbidden in their countries. The delegation shared with us stories of fellow journalists in their native countries who pushed the “journalistic envelope” by asking questions that were considered out of line or disrespectful. Those few brave and determined journalists who pushed the envelope were often jailed or even exiled.
As our team discussed some of the more controversial stories and editorials that we have written about and reported on over the years, our visitors’ eyes lit up. Our right to freedom of speech was a privilege the African and Chinese journalists longed for.
Those meetings with the foreign journalists reminded me of how blessed Americans are for the rights that we have. On the flip side, the meetings also reminded me of how bad things could be if we didn’t have such a democratic system.
I had to reflect on these vastly different lifestyles last week when I learned of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling of Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas.
This particular church believes that God hates America for its tolerance toward homosexuality, so members often protest at the funerals of service men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their “peaceful” protests generally include signs that read: “Thank God for dead soldiers,” “God hates USA/Thank God for 9/11” and “You’re going to hell.”
As repugnant and insensitive as these protests are, the high court says members of Westboro Baptist Church have the right to freely express themselves.
While I am certainly an advocate for freedom of speech, I strongly believe that there is a level of decorum that should always be exhibited when we exercise our right to speak freely. Members of Westboro Baptist Church and others like them throughout the country are not exhibiting respect by denigrating the very individuals who died for our freedoms.
Funerals and the entire mourning process are difficult enough. Add to that a public display of hatred and disrespect and it makes the pain and suffering even more difficult to bear.
The behavior of Westboro Baptist Church members is heinous to say the least, but when I think of this country and the principles in which the First Amendment were founded upon, I understand why the Supreme Court ruled as it did. It is the price we pay for democracy.
If there is anything to learn from this ruling, it is that we should be stronger and even more determined to be accepting and respectful of others. We also should be more tolerant of our differences.
I believe if these lessons are implemented, we will beat people like the members of Westboro Baptist Church at their own game.
You can e-mail comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
