RD4

Lora Cheng
Dec 6, 2009
Eng 215
RD4

United States Citizen Have the Right to Speak About Their Thoughts

Being born or naturalized to become a United States of America citizen both as stated in our first amendment gives us the right to be speaking from our mind. When others try to take advantage of this amendment they suffer in severe consequences. [THESIS] We have the right to speak freely and express our feelings to things that happen around us but they shouldn’t be said in hurtful words. [THESIS]

In the Bill of Rights article, our First Amendment is stated “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.” According to the article, First Amendment Overview,” the First Amendment of the United States Constitution is the Freedom of expression which consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press.” They state the basic concept of freedom of expression is the right of freedom of speech. This allows each individual to speak for themselves. But when negative words being said leads to cause violence are said it is against the Supreme Court and the government’s law. The first amendment allows us the right to speak freely but breach of the peace is prohibited to be said.

In one of the articles, Churchill Attacks Essay’s Critics, it showed that people came to Churchill’s speech and they spoke up for the 9/11 people they believed that what he did was wrong. People didn’t agree with his theory. People used their right to speak freely about their feelings and opinions. In Churchill article when he used the words “little Eichmans” to describe the “technicians”. It also relates to the comparison of Adolf Eichman, who was the man from World War 2who structured the Holocaust that lead to kill many of Jews. Churchill aimed this towards the “investment bankers and others who make the killing of innocents by the U.S. military and U.S. policy possible”. In that statement, there is a theory that states when a different ethnicity comes to America and the military kills them for some reason, the other country will turn around and want to kill an American. Making that speech draws people’s attention to speak up because using “little Eichmans” to describe technicians were hurtful. To a perspective, when you are that ethnicity you may understand it more clearly than other ethnicities. When others of different ethic will disagree and speak up with their thoughts.

Following the thoughts of Ward Churchill speech, there is an article called “Some People Push Back,” where in the article it states that “the reason for this holocaust was/is rather simple, and stated quite straightforwardly by President George Bush, the 41st "freedom-loving'” I honestly believe that the Holocaust is well known history. The Nazi were well known during the Holocaust and they would fully “support for Hitler suffered no serious erosion among Germany's "innocent civilians" until the defeat at Stalingrad in 1943.” It is something we often hear people talk about and softhearted people feel sorry for the Jews. When you see videos and pictures of ways Jews died it gives you the urge of wanting to speak up for them. It is the same when you see video of the 9/11 incident you feel sorry for the families and people who are affected by the threat to America.

Although we have been talking about the first amendment is the freedom of speech, Churchill has an article that states Churchill is not about freedom of speech. The article said “Someone who approves the killing of the business people and calling them “technocrats” and “little Eichmanns” in the World Trade Center is irresponsible.” That statement to me seems really hurtful reading it even thought Churchill later feels regrets of killing in children. He showed the violence and thought it was good for those people. People that hear his speech can’t hold back and not speak up that his speech is untrue and unfair. In the articles there are pictures of people saying the victims of 9/11 were heroes. I totally agree with that poster, 9/11 victims died because maybe at of another American’s fault. Everyone has the right to speak up that shows our amendment 1whether its something people want to hear or not.

According to a classmate Chantelle Lee, she said “Ward Churchill was insensitive and should of thought of his words before saying anything. Especially as a professor, he's supposed to be a role model. His selfless acts created a world wind of controversy all over.” I totally agree with her because Churchill didn’t think of how his speech affected others. According to another classmate, Jongseon Kwon, he said, “Churchill must seek for forgiveness from the citizens who had to endure his speech. Although he may have freedom to speak, it is impossible for citizen to filter what to listen.” I agree with Jongseon Kwon because like Chantelle Lee said about the speech Churchill made, Jongseon made a statement about forgiveness from citizens who had to deal and go through his speech and as people we do filter out what we don’t want to hear. Like a old saying it goes in one ear and out the other ear.

In conclusion I think that people speaking up is important especially in tragic situations like the Holocaust and 9/11. Many victims suffered to save other lives. In 9/11 the people in the World Trade Center and Twin Towers weren’t at fault. In the Holocaust, the Jews didn’t deserve to be crucially killed. Everyone in the United States of America has the right to speak up and share their thoughts. As United States Citizens we not only have the right to freedom of speech but we as humans have the right to listen and believe or disagree and ignore the statements that are made.





Work Cited

"First Amendment: An Overview." N.d. Legal Information Instiitute. Cornell Law School. 5 June 2003 [http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/first_amendment.html.]

Gima, Craig. "Churchill Attacks Essay's Critics." Starbulletin.com 23 Feb. 2005. Retrieved 6 December 2009 [http://starbulletin.com/2005/02/23/news/index2.html]

Kwon, Jongseon. “Attack Ward Churchill.” Online posting. 26 November 2009. Laulima Discussion. 7 November 2009 [https://laulima.hawaii.edu].

Lee, Chantelle. “Attack Ward Churchill.” Online posting. 25 November 2009. Laulima Discussion. 7 November 2009 [https://laulima.hawaii.edu].

Macdonald, Kathleen. Letter. _Honolulu Advertiser_. 23 Feb. 2005. 25 Feb. 2005 [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Feb/23/op/op12pletters.html]

"Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens." N.d. _Dark Night Press_. From _Pockets of Resistance_, 11 Sep. 2001. 7 Dec. 2009 [http://www.darknightpress.org/index.php?i=news&c=recent&view=9&long=1]

"The Bill of Rights." N.d. NARA Webpage. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. 20 June 2004 [http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/bill_of_rights_transcript.html]