Incompatible


According to Websters:

sedition
One entry found for sedition.
Main Entry: se·di·tion
Pronunciation: si-‘di-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin sedition-, seditio, literally, separation, from se- apart + ition-, itio act of going, from ire to go — more at SECEDE, ISSUE
: incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority

The first amendment to the US Constitution:

Amendment I – Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note

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 concept of sedition is completely incompatible with the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If someone cannot complain out loud about the policies of the government, and advocate changing those policies than the constitution has no meaning whatsoever. The true threat to American freedom comes not terrorists, but from those who want to vacate the constitution. Indeed acts of terror are a threat to life and limb. However, if we refuse to sacrifice our freedom, we can still combat criminal acts of violence which is what terrorism amounts to. If we allow corrupt politicians to vacate the constitution in the name of security and co-opt specific religious views in the name of benefiting their rich cronies, it is not the terrorists who have won, it is the powerful rich elites of this country who will end up enslaving us.

Words are indeed powerful, but words in and of themselves do not cause a drop of blood to be spilled. Only someone who acts upon the words is responsible. A person cannot control the events around them, they can only control their response. If a person acts in a foolish or violent manner based on words alone, that person needs to be held accountable for their acts. Banning the words only leads to that inexorable slide into tyranny. I don’t like hate speech but I will always be the first person to defend someone’s right to say stupid shit. Any politician who says that law of the land, does not apply to them, should be held accountable in an appropriate manner when they violate that law and the rights of Americans. A nurse who writes a letter to a newspaper has done nothing wrong by that act and is only exercising her constitutional rights. The only acts of treason that I have seen are being directed from Washington.

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