I
believe that people have the right to protest about whatever they believe in.
But there are limits to what is right to protest about. Although there is
controversy about whether or not morals should be incorporated into government,
there is a point where society needs to realize what is right and what is
wrong.
Let’s
begin with the KKK. What is the purpose of the KKK? To protest against racial
equality. As sad as it is, racism still exists in this modern time. Racial
equality was achieved many years ago yet people still continue to believe that
it should not exist. Not only is the KKK an advocate of racial discrimination,
it is also the way that they go about sending their message to the public. Most
instances heard about involving the KKK are violence related. This is where the
line needs to be drawn. Not only is the KKK’s message being conveyed in a violent
manner, the message is one that has been outlawed for many years. They do not
only protest physically, they even have a website: www.kkk.com.
Is having their vicious views and racial slanders on the internet any better
than their violent actions? No, it is still not okay. Any form of protesting
that offends other people is not alright.
Another
group heard about recently is Westboro Baptist Church. This group of people travels
the country protesting soldiers’ funerals. Unlike what the KKK is protesting, there
is no law stating that Westboro cannot protest soldiers’ funerals. So if there
is no law against the protest of solders’ funerals, then it is completely fine,
right? Wrong. It is morally wrong. Newsflash Westboro: If everyone in the
country hates you do to your actions, it’s probably not okay. That is pushing
the limit on protesting. In Westboro’s eyes, protesting the funerals is like
protesting the war. In America’s eyes, Westboro Baptist Church is a horrible institution
that protests our country’s heroes. Not only does the church protest soldiers’
funerals, but it is also protesting Whitney Houston’s funeral! Not that Whitney
deserves more respect than America’s soldiers, but protesting a pop star’s
funeral? Really?
In all, yes, protesters should be
limited to what they can protest about. If
what you are protesting offends others and goes against the constitution, you
should not be protesting about it. If what you believe offends other and is
morally wrong, keep it to yourself.
I agree that people should have the right to protest about whatever they believe in so long as it does not infringe on the rights of others. However, you are arguing that you shouldn’t protest if it offends others. Aren’t most legal protests done because they don’t agree with others? In this arrogant society, when people disagree with us don’t we usually get offended? Don’t get me wrong; I completely disagree with what the Westboro Baptist Church is doing, along with the KKK. However, offending someone shouldn’t be grounds for shutting down a protest. Think about Martin Luther King Jr. He held several protests and offended millions of white bigots in the south. Does this mean his protests should have been shut down? I guarantee there were people during his time that believed what he was fighting for was morally wrong. So in summary, I believe protest should be continued even if they offend people. Protesting is an important right protected by the constitution and should only be stopped if it infringes on the rights of others.
ReplyDeleteIf you won’t let people protest because they are offending someone’s rights then you’re breaking the constitution yourself by oppressing the rights of people to protest. The reason people protest is because something someone did offended them in the first place, so in reality the protestors are offending the people that offended them. Anything a person says can be offensive to someone and to try and monitor the things everyone says would be impossible and against the constitution for oppressing the right to freedom of speech. The KKK and Westboro Baptist Church are offensive protesting groups, but not allowing them to protest at all would be withholding them from their constitutional rights to do so. The only time government can realistically step in to interfere with protestors is when they become violent or break a law. One may disagree with the protesting, but the protestors began because of a disagreement in the first place. Isn’t that one of the main freedoms in our country? Having the right to disagree and being able to voice that disagreement peacefully without worrying about being prosecuted is one freedom I am glad to have.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelsie on this one. While it may not be morally right to the majority, and it may seem totally uncalled for, these kinds of protests are technically not unconstitutional. So long as they don't break any laws, they have as much right to continue their protests as we do the right to bear arms. I won't say that I like what they're doing, but so long as they don't do anything legally wrong, I think we as a whole are just going to have to rely on people's consciences to know that what they are doing is something that is out of line, and to not choose to participate in it ourselves. Hopefully one day these factions will die out, but I looking at things realistically, I think that as long as there is freedom of speech in this country, protests like this will always be going on.
ReplyDelete