The line is spelled out in plain English in the US Constitution (the Supreme Law of the Land!) Bill of Rights Amendment I "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." The government (both state and federal) are subservient to and must obey the Constitution! The Constitution's Bill of Rights is designed to protect "We the People" from "them the government" by tying the hands of government - a necessary evil. The government can not abridge the freedom of speech. There is however an exception to that rule, when that speech violates the rights of someone - then it is the duty of the government to prevent such violations. Thus upholding the Constitution, who's purpose is to protect the rights of the individual & society alike. And so, we can't yell fire or bomb in a crowded area (theator/airport,etc) because that speech will likely result in a mad rush and of course - people and property will be endangered and harmed as a result - thus violating their rights. So the question to ask one's self when determining where to draw the line when it comes to the government and free speech is, "Who's rights are in jeopardy?" If that speech violates the rights of no one then to empower the government to violate the rights of the person making that speech is to defeat the very purpose of the Constitution itself! Any government official who abridges free speech or fails to speak out against someone who does, is a felon for failing to uphold his/her oath. A criminal and a real threat to the rights of the individual and society as a whole. Travis Patriot www.MyPolitical.com P.S. My thoughts on Censorship: federalismrevealed.tripod.com/freebook/id3.html Also, did you know that Thomas Jefferson called for an Eternal Separation between Church and State? Here it is..www.cafeshops.com/churchandstates Telling Right from Wrong is simple: www.cafeshops.com/rightandwrong Anyone may republish or use the article (located above) as long as the links remain attached. Source: Constitutional Law for Police “Decency, security, and liberty alike demand that governmental officials shall be subjected to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen. In a government of laws, existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for the law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that in the administration of the criminal law the end justifies the means-to declare that the government may commit crimes in order to secure the conviction of a private criminal-would bring terrible retribution. Against that pernicious doctrine this court should resolutely set its face.” “This philosophy, that the government agents should be subjected to certain restrictions in enforcing laws was summarized by Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandies in the case of Olmstead v. United States.” At the bottom of the same page it reads and I quote, “The constitutions of the original thirteen states were written during a period in history when the people were keenly aware of their rights and of the possibility that a strong government might deprive them of these rights. The Constitution of the United States, which was written only a few years after the Declaration of Independence, was framed by men who had lived during a period of strict control and later during a period of too little control. As a result it was the intention of these dedicated men that the new government established under the United States Constitution protect both the rights of the individual and the rights of society.” The information above is a direct quote from the preface of “Constitutional Law for Police” Volume One of the Police Text Series by John C. Klotter, B.A., LL.B. Associate Director Southern Police Institute and Jacqueline R. Kanovitz, B.A., J.D. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 67-30989 - 4th printing 1970 Number at bottom of page V - Small #1 then 277 US 438 (1928)
