Thoughts on Freedom of Speech 2
Are we too tolerant?
American’s were not the first to engage in individual liberties or write the first document to guarantee it. Seriously, the basis of human freedom can be found so much earlier in such contrasting sources as the Bible, Eastern and Mid-Eastern religious writings and just about all regions involved in the political culture of the ‘classical world.’
The notion of natural–law and natural–rights doctrines have permeated most cultures throughout history by ancient, medieval, and early modern writers such as John Locke, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mills, Descartes, Thomas Aquinas, and of course the philosopher’s of the day whatever region they represented.
Understanding the rationale of such movements as the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment including “The Glorious Revolution” as some dubbed the period when English, Dutch, German, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese began sailing for new lands for religious tolerance and other abuses.
Everything up to this point has involved the human condition. In every culture throughout history where there are two humans, unfortunately there is war. It’s ugly I agree. But truth be told, this is a fact, and if anything is ‘human nature’ fighting is it.
Therefore the rise of social–contract philosophy and especially for post revolutionary America, England’s Common Law, their well-documented freedom documents such as the Magna Carta (1215 AD), the Petition of Rights (1628), and the (English) Bill of Rights (1689) stood stalwart as the precursors’ of the U.S. Constitution. However, those who lived in America-for the most part-where of English descent and were considered ‘British Subjects’ and held fast to English common law.
We are addressing a “revolution” no different than any other country with makeshift leadership that would have resembled any modern day revolutionary.
Therefore, when one discusses the Revolutionary period it would be advisable to think of Washington, Hamilton, John Jay, Jefferson and Madison, and many others in the same vernacular as Fidel Castro, Ché Guevara, Eva ‘Evita’ Peron, or any other persons going against not only the status quo, be mindful please that these men and women were in fact, committing treason.
Make no mistake it was the British who gave us the laws and rights, only to turn and violate those very rights. The only way to establish them again would be to codify individual rights in writing and serve notice to the Crown. Although there had been 3 or 4 generations of ‘home rule’ with little intervention from the Crown, when British-Americans started trading with other countries, and developing new products, this unrestrained entity (the ‘Colonies’) started receiving the wrath of the heavily fortified British Army and Navy
So try to imagine this: Your grandparents sailed to a new land, and before landing made a ‘Compact’ right there on the ship. Having landed and starting to colonize forming communities, counties, colonies with legislative bodies, courts, and lawyers.
Now your parents begin carrying on in tradition working for mere survival, when you were born the mother country started assessing taxes on goods you produced! Worse, they started navigating the shipping lanes to stop you and your parents from making money by sinking your only ships!
And finally, upon arrival of more British troops, these soldiers started living in your house, eating your food, then out of nowhere pick up and jail any person they felt was speaking against the Crown, writing anything, or just because they didn’t like it, you paid the penalty. Writer’s wrote for the newspaper; author’s wrote books and pamphlets, and gaud forbid-anyone say anything at all about the King or else otherwise…
Long for blog standards, yet quite short on relativeness…Part 2 on “Thoughts on Freedom of Speech”
Politics
Religion
Education
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