The first amendment. The guarantee to the people that they may speak freely. It was number one on the list of amendments because of the fear of being silenced. That was something all too familiar to those former colonists. They really didn't have a voice during that time, only the aristocrats and power brokers had a voice. Compromises and concessions were made to get the constitution ratified by the necessary number of states, nine. Following that it was further agreed that amendments were required. Twelve were proposed and ten chosen. We all know the second amendment, the right to bear arms. And the reason for that amendment was obvious enough in those days and should remain obvious to any thinking person.
In case anyone doesn't understand I will state it plainly. You can say whatever you like, but if you can't back it up, it means nothing! And that is the the reason for the second amendment in a nutshell. We had declared ourselves free from Great Britain, we even wrote it down and had it delivered to the King. We had spoken loud and clear. Then we had to back up those words, with action. We did so, eventually defeating the English and establishing our constitutional republic. We walked the walk! Thousands had died in battle and from disease but the message stuck; we are a free and independent nation. Not just because we said so, we made it so.
Now you can argue and debate about who has the right to tell anyone else what they can or can not do. That is what we commonly call diplomacy. It works that way in families, and it works that way on the world stage as well. The right to tell others is the basis for all religious practices, receiving authority from the divine, the greater power, whatever you envision that power to be. You can dictate right and wrong and it isn't just a right, it is a duty. Even when it is simply for your own salvation you are obligated to show others the path! You must tell them. If they refuse to listen, force may have to be used. Spare the rod and spoil the child. You have to back up your words with action. All groups form to initiate an action, unless it is a debating team, they just talk about it.
The application of force is not wrong. It is only the timing of that application that becomes the issue. The right to self defense is a human right, not a right controlled by government. Governments will attempt to control the means of your defense, limit your capacity to strike back, for the common good but ultimately the people retain the right to self defense. Kings and their armies have been defeated by peasants with pitchforks. You can not control a population by appeasement. The reason is a basic one, you will never satisfy everyone. The more that is compromised, the more given and forgiven, the larger the demands become. That is just another of those little quirks in humans. We always want more. Our only means of restraint being "personal" choice or "authority", both requiring your willingness to comply.
Everyone would prefer diplomacy over force. In that way, everyone wins a little bit. But man wants to win it all, a part of our nature. You may ask why would anyone want billions of dollars, more money than they could ever spend. Why do you want to win the race? How much are you willing to compromise to achieve your goals? It is what we sometimes call ambition, drive and the desire to succeed. We admire those that strive to achieve their goals against the odds, they are our heroes. They are uncompromising! It's what they said they would do and they did it. And that is the danger of free speech. There are times when that speech motivates us, pushes us forward, call it pride or being empowered, that speech is the motivation for action. The talking is over. And the last response will be, "because I said so." The decision has been made. Conversations begin with whispers, fights begin with a shout.
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