"Good Bye Freedom"

Have you ever been offended by a statement or remark you have heard on radio or television, or perhaps by an individual at a social gathering? I’m pretty sure every person reading this has had this type of situation at one time or another.

There are over 350 million people living in the United States now, and that is only counting those who are here legally. All of those 350 million people have opinions just about everything; civil rights, welfare, weather forecasting, religion, movies, TV, radio, literature, music and even what the best foods are to eat. I’ve heard the saying “opinions are like butt-holes, everybody has one”, and truer words were never spoken.

One of the great things about living in this particular republic is our right to speak our minds and not worry about someone being able to inflict punishment on us because of what we say, or what we believe.

Francois-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, stated something which should be carved on every courthouse wall; “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”; perhaps our Founding Fathers were thinking of this when they conceived the 1^st amendment of our Bill of Rights.

The 1^st  amendment was designed to protect the speech rights of all Americans, majority and minority alike should be able to voice opinions without repercussions from any pressure group or government body.

I go to church just about every Sunday, and I put an envelope in the basket at every service because I support my church, both in its’ doctrines and its’ ministries; even though I know not everybody supports those doctrines and ministries. I am willing to say that I know some people are probably offended by some of those doctrines and ministries. Everybody has the right to not like my opinions. I have no problem with that. Those who don’t like my opinions do not have the right to inflict punishment on me because they disagree with me, be they in the majority or the minority.

Last week, a gentleman named Brendan Eich was forced to resign his position at MOZILLA because he made a personal contribution of $1000 to a group that supports “traditional marriage”, marriage between a man and a woman. Mr. Eich made no grand public statement of his contribution, he never went on television or took radio time to espouse what his personal beliefs were; he was just doing what any free American should have the right to do.

Mr. Eich seems to have offended the “Gay and Lesbian” community by his “free choice” in support of “traditional marriage”. This “small minority” has caused such a strong outcry, the people at MOZILLA pressured an honest man to resign for acting in his own conscience about a social issue.

Do any of you reading this see the possible danger that is being brought forth by this precedent? Every word you say, every penny you may contribute, every organization you may belong to, may be used as a lever to put undue pressure on you and any other American who doesn’t sit silently and allow this “secret destruction” of our 1^st amendment rights.

I don’t care what the “Gay and Lesbian” community say, it is their right to say it, just allow the rest of us the same courtesy that we give to you; that 1^st amendment is for ALL OF US!!