It sent a chill down my spine when I read about a college student in Vermont who was arrested and sent to a detention center in Louisiana — for writing an editorial.
When we moved into our new building a year ago, one of the first things I did was bring a wooden sign we had made that is the text of the First Amendment. We used it in a couple of parades and then it landed in my garage.
It had sat there for a while and when we moved, I decided it was the time to clear off the cobwebs, put on a clear coat and hang it outside of the building. Since then, it has become our go-to place for those “grip and grin” photo opportunities.
But the significance of the sign goes way beyond photo shoots. The words on that sign, crafted some 250 years ago, still ring true to this day.
For now, at least.
The basic principle of Americans being able to voice their opinions on any subject is a bedrock of this nation. It’s what has made this country a great nation since its inception. That people can disagree, voice those opinions and not fear reprisal — or detention.
The opinion in question was about the situation in Gaza. Sure, that is a hot-button topic with varying points of view coming from American citizens. Whether people agree or disagree with the author, she has a right to voice her opinion.
And those who disagree have a right to voice their opinions and even ask the same publication to print those opinions. That’s how it works; or at least that’s how it is supposed to work.
A judge ordered the government to release the woman, saying there wasn’t a shred of evidence she violated any law. She did nothing more than follow the First Amendment and give her opinion.
The issue, though, is this person should have never been detained — or even bothered. But it is obvious “Big Brother” is watching opinion writers across the nation and targeting those with whom they don’t agree.
I’m sure people are going to throw tomatoes at me and say I’m being biased against those doing the detaining. Maybe so, but the truth of the matter is we have a First Amendment and those who serve in the federal government take an oath to uphold our rights of free speech.
Like any law or creed, things are not just set in stone. You can’t scream “fire” in a theatre. There are slander laws in place, as well.
But in this case, and almost all cases, it was merely one person voicing her opinion and letting the world know where she stood. That’s called freedom of speech and it is a right all of us Americans have and should be able to exercise without fear of reprisal.
We practice this right every week in the newspaper. I’m doing it right now and there are opinion columns and letters to the editor that are the doing same thing. It’s called having an opinion and it also means those who disagree can write their own opinions for publication.
I often get accused of censoring letters to the editor, which is the most ridiculous thing possible. I print every letter that I receive if it meets our criteria. In seven years owning this newspaper, I have probably withheld less than five letters.
What that really means is those accusing me of such dastardly deeds are simply making it up and they aren’t sending in letters to be printed.
Because that’s what I tell the naysayers. If you don’t like it, send me a letter or guest opinion and it will be printed.
My email box awaits. (greg@mariposagazette.com)
My point in all of this are the chills that went up, down and around my spine when reading about this person in Vermont. A person focused on academics, as confirmed by the college, who was hauled away for exercising the First Amendment rights of everyone in this nation.
This is truly chilling and should alarm everyone no matter your political beliefs, or any beliefs as far as that goes. It cannot be tolerated because if it is, it will quickly lead to the demise of this country as we know it.
That just can’t happen.
Greg Little is editor of the Mariposa Gazette and can be reached at greg@mariposagazette.com
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