Ranting About Rights

One month has passed since the September 11 attacks on America. During the past month we have seen a lot of good and bad out of Americans. That shouldn't really be a surprise since there are many good and bad things about our country.

Americans have always been charitable and the outpouring of support, be it money, blood or time in the last month has been nothing short of astounding. As a friend of mine remarked, display of the American flag is at an all time high, or at least in my life. On the other hand, the backlash of bigoted Americans against other Americans who may look or speak different reared its ugly head and at least four people were killed as a direct of hate crimes. Tons of rhetoric has been tossed around by our elected officials as a knee jerk reaction to the attacks denouncing everything from the attacks to any people of the Islamic faith. Drunken talk in bars has centered on the evil “ragheads” and their deportation or worse. Even your humble author called for the immediate retaliation against the perpetrators, whoever they may be. Basically calling to nuke them all and let God sort ‘em out.

Fortunately cooler heads have prevailed in most corners from myself to the President who showed great restraint in giving the Taliban ample time to produce Osama bin Laden who has been identified as the mastermind behind the attacks.

But a couple of things have happened in the past couple of weeks that really tug at my emotions as an American. First a man in Noblesville, IN was arrested for burning an American flag in protest of US policy. As a patriotic American the burning of the flag is something I just will not consider doing. Having said that though, I would defend anyone's right to commit such an act. Sure the Supreme Court has ruled that flag burning is guaranteed under our first amendment rights. But more importantly to me is that the burning of a flag, no matter how repulsive it may be to me, is a very passive way to display ones aggravation at American policy, domestic or foreign. To be sure there are much worse ways to manifest that aggravation. Timothy McVeigh probably felt himself a patriot, but he was a coward. Killing people who did not create policy because his conservative views didn't mesh with then President Bill Clinton is cowardice period. Like I said, I would not burn an American flag, but I will defend someone's right to do so. I have to admit, this guys timing was about as bad as it could be, but he is still guaranteed that right. Of course some people will say they have the right to beat the crap out of him as well. No, that is called assault and is against the law.

The other thing that is going on is the anti-American policy village some students at Indiana University have created on campus. Here again you have students who are exercising their First Amendment rights to express their dismay at the US military strikes against Afghanistan. I do not agree with their position and would not have anything to do with them, but I certainly recognize their rights. But the last couple of days the right wing whackos have been coming out of the woodwork talking about no more public funding for the school and that they are disgracing the school, their parents and themselves with these “shameful acts of treason”. I guess Limbaugh and Liddy get new converts every day. If these radical right-wingers had paying attention they would realize that most college campuses in this country are bastions of liberal thinking in the name of peace and love. Of course, like the demonstrators, the conservatives who are denouncing the protests have every right to voice their displeasure.
Basically though, it is the ability to burn a flag, protest US policy, protest against the protesters that make life in the US fun, but it is also what makes it great. Do protests turn violent and ugly? Of course, but as long as they are kept to the two examples I have cited we are on the right track. It could be much worse. In Pakistan people are dying nearly on a daily basis in anti-American protests.