Guest post by Cyber Millenial

One of the provisions of the First Amendment is the right to free speech. In current days, we are seeing the power of this right. People are trying to set up safe spaces where people who enter don’t have to hear certain words or comments, and it isn’t working.

Dennis Prager and Adam Corolla have a movie out called “No Safe Spaces.”  It talks about America’s college campuses. I have not personally seen the movie, but it addresses this issue.  

Here is the thing. People used to say, “The only thing you’re not supposed to say is ‘FIRE’ in a crowded theater.”  Actually, if there is a fire in a crowded theater, you can say, “FIRE.”  In fact, you probably should.  

The act of lying is illegal.  Slander — lying about someone verbally — is illegal.  Libel — the act of lying about someone in print — is illegal.  This doesn’t require specific words, rather an intent and an action that hurts others.  

When we lie on applications, for example, we get in the habit of lying. Consistent breaking of a rule makes it easier to break other rules.  We see nothing with changing numbers on a page in a report at work, or as has happened in recent days, even changing words — that change meanings — in legal documents.  

It makes us feel like we know more and better than others.  The truth is that we do not necessarily know more about everything than every other person.  We may know more about an issue because of life experiences.  Most of us, however, do not have the power to make those decisions for other people.  And if we do, we have been entrusted with that power. 

If there are illegal words, then people may be imprisoned for thoughts.  Once again, I draw your attention to George Orwell.  In 1984, he depicted a scary world where your thoughts and words could be judged against the whims of the leadership. These whims changed every week, it seemed.  We’re seeing the beginning of that now.  Not only are people judged for their thoughts and words in the current moment, but every single thing they’ve said or thought is brought up and people try to predict whether they are “woke” enough to risk employing.  

The formula takes into account identity.  People of certain shades of melanin and certain upbringings are more likely to say the forbidden words and think the forbidden thoughts.  This goes straight back to my first essay.  All men are created equal.  

Much of what I will say does. It is, by the way, a foundational part of our nation’s governing principles.