Twisted Freedom of Speech
The First Amendment Rights of the U.S. Constitution gives us the freedom of speech, but I think it is too misused or outdated. Revisions and clarifications are necessary, because too much freedom is allowed for the bad, and not enough is allowed for the good. People are often using the rights to violate others’ rights, and punishments are too mild for the bad and harsh for the good.
People use foul and abusive language, and display nasty, improper, and harassing pictures and decorations on their clothing, walls, doors, and other belongings. Movies, books, shows, games, adn other media contain so much graphic, nasty, and improper content that make people sick and embarrassed, or negatively influence the society. However, if we complain or are offended, the responses are "freedom of speech," "you got to be strong," "you need to have a thick skin," "that’s your problem," or something similar. They are blaming the victim instead of the offender.
When a good person just makes a harmless complaint about someone or verbally defends themselves, they get in trouble for slander. Where is their freedom of speech? What the offending party says or does is even worse. Once again, it is blaming the victim. The focus is wrong.
When people, especially authorities, violate our freedom of speech or tell us not to mention an issue to anyone but them, that is a bad sign: they know they are doing something wrong, but refuse to admit it. They don’t want us to know the truth and whole picture. Same with offenders getting victims in trouble when they defend themselves. Why don’t they ever say that they were wrong and take responsibility? If these freedom violaters are afraid of complaints or trouble, they shouldn’t be offending others or violating rights in the first place.
Freedom of speech is often abused by authorities. Since they have power, they can do whatever they want to us, even violate our freedom. They are allowed to insult and lie about us, but we are not allowed to do so to them. This is how it’s like when we are dealing with police officers.
One reason I moved out of the dorms after my third year in college was the violation of freedom of speech. The staff can say and do whatever they want, but whatever the residents said and did were documented and kept in files. It was like living in a communist country. The head residents went after people who made harmless complaints instead of vandals, pranksters, and harassers.
When the moderators (mods) at TheOneRing.com said not to discuss problems involving some small mistakes and misunderstandings with anyone except them, I should have known that they were doing something wrong, but refuse to admit it. They were afraid of my finding out the truth, getting into trouble, and being unable to violate my freedom of speech. When they named people uninvolved in the problem, I sent e-mails to them asking for proof and answers, resulting in my unfair ban. Several others have also been banned for tiny mistakes and misunderstandings, but not the real troublemakers. We made a complaint about someone, and the mods got after us. However, when we were offended by people insulting, rejecting, and degrading us, the result was "you must have a thick skin" and the offenders getting away with it.
It seems as if the freedom of speech is now a tool to support the bad and harm the good. The constitution really needs revision and clarification.