Mouth Wide Open!
Posted by Jim Henderson
With the advent of modern technology, anyone with a computer can write or speak whatever is on their mind. This word is used lightly in the case of this writer. We call this, freedom of speech. Its also constitutionally protected. In case you are unfamiliar with the constitution, the founding fathers instituted the right of free speech to protect those who are prone to utter really crude and sensless remarks.
At one time, speech had a very specific purpose, that being the primary means of communication between two or more indivuiduals. As such, it was criticial to our survival. Now its just something to occupy us until the next show comes on the television. Fortunately for the human race, we were able to construct language in order to freely converse among ourselves. The only other possible mode of communication would have been to simply read each others minds, which would have resulted in the immediate anhilation of humankind. Imagine how long your marriage would have lasted if you both knew what the other was thinking! Til death do us part may have been much quicker than we expected under those circumstances. Immediately after they invented speech, someone had to invent tact. Tact is when you actually think before you open your mouth and say something really thoughtless!
As with any right, there always those who abuse it. You can easily recognize them because they are usually the ones who are the first to scream that their rights have been violated. They do this just after they have violated someone elses rights. Some people ought to keep their mouth shut, its just not constitutional to tell them that.
All through history, there have been those who have attempted to impose restrictions on any view that is contradictory to their own by any means necessary. But thats enough about tyranny and oppression, otherwise known as the institution of marriage.
While the right to free speech is guaranteed by the constitution, the ability to say something intelligent, however, is not.
Jim Henderson is currently employed in the field of environmental regulatory compliance. He enjoys writing as a past time and has had several articles published in various on-line publications.
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