Freedom isn’t free…or in style…

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
~The First Amendment

The US message, “Freedom isn’t free,” typically pertains to the sacrifices we, as a society, made and continue to make in order to be the freest, safest, most successful civilization ever to exist on this blue marble. While we abhor wars, we celebrate our warriors who protected us and those who now volunteer to do so.

Still, we did all this so that we could have real, honest-to-goodness freedom. This means that sometimes people are going to say things you disagree with. Good! Sometimes, people are going to flat-out disagree with your ideas and ideals. Good! Sometimes someone may even hurt your itty bitty feewings.

Get over it.

Censorship by brute force helps no one. It does not belong in our country. Lashing out physically against someone who SAID something because you THINK it might imply the IDEA of violence is lunacy.

Words are not violence. Free thought is not violence. Disagreeing with people is not violence.

Smacking them upside the head with your flag, yanking their microphone out of their hands, tripping and beating them, throwing fire bombs and smashing windows, kicking and hitting them – those are violence.

By declaring free speech “hate” or “violence,” you are allowing the thought police to declare war on a fundamental U.S. law. One that our ancestors fought for. One that we should not have to fight against YOU to keep.

Don’t believe for a minute that the tide won’t turn against you.

This divide of ideas has locked us into a constant state of “us” and “them” mentality that is destroying our nation. The only key is to calm the hell down and use your brain.