Tuesday, September 18, 2012

STEIN- FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

So this week I too found a candidate, an issue, and an article. I chose Green party candidate Jill Stein. You can find out more about the Green party and its position on all sorts of political and social justice issues from Jill Stein's perspective here.

While the two main party candidates are having discussions largely focused on the economy and some key "hot button" social issues such as reproductive rights for Women or LGBTQ rights, there are a few fundamental concerns flying under the radar. The First Amendment is the US Constitution protected right to freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. It is the right to speak, to protest, to say things that may not be popular about the government, education, and the world we live in. It is the right to the media, to having your voice be heard and seen even if it is controversial. The First Amendment and the rights it protects are under attack in our country and is flying under the radar in this election, but I chose this article where Jill Stein discusses in an interview the implications of the First Amendment, why it is important, why it is under attack and why it matters for us as citizens. It may seem like a waste of a vote, or a lost cause in a country that focuses so strongly on a bi-party system, however check out this article from Huffington Post about how possible a Green Party candidate could be, and how it may be just the answer you were looking for.

2 comments:

  1. I was listening to the radio with my dad on the way to Providence the other day, and they were discussing the anti-Islam video that an American made that started all of the violent riots. They were arguing whether or not the person that made the video should be arrested, being that they are somewhat responsible for what is now happening around the world. One side was saying that they should absolutely be punished for what they started, and the other said they were simply exercising their 1st Amendment rights. wondering how you feel about this...

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  2. Its a complicated question isnt it? I tend to air on the side of protecting people's first amendment rights at most costs. I think it is dangerous to hold individuals accountable for things that happen on larger (systemic) levels- I mean there were lots of political and environmental factors in play that have led to different cultural upheavals around the world so I would be a bit skeptic of people who want to point the finger at political artistic individuals....

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