{"id":4539,"date":"2020-11-05T09:30:36","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T16:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=4539"},"modified":"2020-11-05T12:08:47","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T19:08:47","slug":"tolerance-must-include-freedom-of-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=4539","title":{"rendered":"Tolerance Must Include Freedom of Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Written by Susan James<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has become clear to many that if you do not agree to what some believe, then you are not only wrong, but also racist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The First Amendment allows <em>all<\/em>\u00a0Americans freedom of speech and takes into consideration various opinions to be recognized and heard. No amount of &#8220;bullying&#8221; should be able to obliterate the fundamental constitutional right to that freedom. Whether it be political, personal, or religious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Voltaire has been described as saying, &#8220;I may disapprove with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bullying was at one time a focus of the mainstream media because it concentrated on kids and the internet. Though now when it involves adults, it appears to be seen as a right and embraced by the same media. But causing fear and intimidation is wrong regardless of the age of the victim(s). This behavior can be linked to depression, substance abuse, and even suicide. Unfortunately, this same media overlooks this reality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is sad that many hard-working Americans have become afraid to voice their opinions, especially if it differs from a few in fear of retribution.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We cannot let one squeaky wheel mean we all should be &#8216;greased&#8217; by the same propaganda or be responsible for everyone with a complaint or disagreement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The adage of &#8220;let\u2019s agree to disagree&#8221; might be worth pondering in our present age. It is also a matter of respect for each other by ensuring alternative voices to be heard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the overarching premises of America and our Constitution is <em>freedom<\/em>. Freedom to believe and speak\u2014to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is for all Americans. Those who wish to diminish those rights are oppressive and must not be empowered\u2014legally or socially.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lately, anyone including some press has had to contend with the consequences of independent thinking. Why?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was always encouraged to think for myself and research facts versus fiction or opinions. Not that having an opinion is a negative, but we can always learn. Again, agree or disagree, but always strive for knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent attacks on individuals and business speak volumes as to how many have become intolerant. Ironically, those who claim to want tolerance have now become the most intolerant. Hopefully, those who are intolerant will realize that their behaviors project only more dissension. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by Susan James It has become clear to many that if you do not agree to what some believe, then you are not only wrong, but also racist. The First Amendment allows all\u00a0Americans freedom of speech and takes into consideration various opinions to be recognized and heard. No amount of &#8220;bullying&#8221; should be able&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3516,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tolerance Must Include Freedom of Speech - San Diego News Desk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=4539\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tolerance Must Include Freedom of Speech - San Diego News Desk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Written by Susan James It has become clear to many that if you do not agree to what some believe, then you are not only wrong, but also racist. 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