First Amendment meaningless unless it is used responsibly
Alisha Cowan
Issue date: 4/4/07 Section: Opinion
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If you really have to think about the answer to this question, perhaps you should join the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal action group that defended 17-year-old Heidi Zamecnik in a case filed March 23 against her high school for ordering her to take the shirt off or cover up the words "not gay."
Sure, the point could be argued that this student was only using her First Amendment right to freedom of speech, but in past times when people could openly discriminate against blacks, non-Catholics, women and a list of others, this amendment didn't offer much to brag about.
People used to be allowed, due to our great Constitution, to verbally abuse and assault African-Americans, verbally suggest the inadequacies of women and verbally persecute all those not in agreement with the Christian way.
The point is: Just because expressing yourself the way you want is supported by the First Amendment does not necessarily make it right. To walk around school with an ignorant, offensive shirt on your body is not right, even if allowed, just as prejudice wasn't right in the past.
According to abcnews.com, the lawsuit the young woman and her parents filed states that she faced discrimination and humiliation on the day of the incident. How ironic: A "straight" person being embarrassed for purposely wearing a gay-bashing piece of clothing. I wonder how all the homosexual students in Neuqua Valley High School felt while this student paraded through the hallways as if absolutely nothing was wrong.
The Christian litigation group representing Zamecnik says all they want is for Christian students to be able to give their perspective on homosexuality. If a student walked into a school on, let's say, Ash Wednesday or some other Christian holiday, with a shirt that said, "Christianity Is Not The Way" or "It Controls Your Life, Tells You What to Think and Say," the Alliance Defense Fund would be up in arms.
Whatever your views are on homosexuality, you are entitled to them, but expressing them in a disrespectful, uneducated way does nothing to get others to understand your views. It only repulses them because of the terrible way you presented your thoughts. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Sometimes by doing so, you'll find yourself in a repeating cycle that happily feeds off negativity.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Lady J
posted 4/04/07 @ 9:38 AM CST
You're comments are naive, childish and foolish. In America, we must welcome all viewpoints, including those we disagree with --and that includes those who do not agree with homosexual behavior. (Continued…)
Forhim922
Patrick
posted 4/04/07 @ 10:38 AM CST
I agree the young lady had a right to wear the shirt. I suppose one could argue it may not have been the best idea but she did have that right. The fact of the matter is that expressing a Christian point of view is becoming less and less acceptable in this country. (Continued…)
zarreph
zarreph
posted 4/04/07 @ 3:16 PM CST
I applaud the girl for wearing such a shirt. I know that in my high school, the administration took a few months to allow the creation of a Bible Club, but it only took a couple of days to start a Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Club (for those kind of people or anyone who wanted to learn more). (Continued…)
U
posted 4/07/07 @ 11:36 AM CST
This article is off the mark. The very fact that the First Amendment can be used in any manner, including one which liberals term "irresponsible" is PRECISELY what makes it so very valuable to this country. (Continued…)
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