Having spent the better part of my adult life in the U.S. Army I am proud to have served my country. For those of you who have not had the privilege to serve, here is an excerpt from the oath of enlistment taken by every service member:
“I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same…”
This oath is taken at the time of enlistment, and repeated upon every re-enlistment, so it’s not forgotten along the way.
During my Army career I was sent into harm’s way and people who don’t appreciate our way of life tried to kill me and my comrades-in-arms on a daily basis. I had a few close calls, but my number never came up. Others weren’t so lucky.
This Constitution that I swore to support and defend was written by this country’s founding fathers, but they didn’t get it quite perfect the first time. Therefore, over the years, there have been Constitutional Amendments added to the original document. The very first amendment added to the Constitution concerned the ability of the country’s citizens to have an opinion:
“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”
I take several concepts from the First Amendment. The first is that we all have the right to say (write, type) anything we want to. If we choose to speak untruths or threats to public officials, there are laws to deal with those acts, but we are free to express our opinions.
The second concept I get from the First Amendment is that we, as a group, have the right to assemble peaceably. As an assembly, this forum could be more peaceable at times. There’s really no need for the nastiness I’ve seen. It’s okay to disagree, but for those that thrive on creating conflict you should just either keep it civil or expect to be censored.
The third concept I get from the First Amendment is Freedom of the Press, which means the press can publish whatever they want to. Again, there are laws concerning untruths or threats, but for the most part anything goes. As we often see in the liberal media, this protection also extends to the freedom to NOT publish the things those in charge of the press choose to omit.
I won’t get into the religious freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment, as they are not applicable to the issue here on Stunt Hangar, unless, like me, you worship line tension.
Members of this forum have the right to say what they want. Robert, as moderator (owner, administrator, editor, choose a title) has the right to publish the information as he wishes. If he feels a particular conversation is destructive to the purpose of the forum, he has the right to delete it. Whether I agree with his decisions or not, I support and defend his First Amendment rights.
Personally, I’m going to try to ignore the name calling, finger pointing, and candy-a$$ games that are too prevalent here. I am going to pay attention to the interesting tidbits, the helpful advice, and the hints and tips I find on the boards. If the balance sways too far toward the hate-mongering, I will take my U-Reely and go home.
Topic: probably my last post (Read 1397 times)