The first amendment says you can say, write, or publish whatever you want without fear of being arrested, shot, imprisoned, or otherwise legally penalized. On television, the internet, as film or in print. From your mouth or on your blog, even if what you are saying is incredibly stupid, baseless, and factually incorrect. Even if it offends everyone who reads or hears it. As an American, being a loudmouthed jerk is constitutionally protected.
However. The first amendment does not say you are required to utter, write, film, broadcast, or publish whatever idiocy crosses your mind. Just because you can does not mean you should. The Constitution protects your right to be a moron. It does not mandate you actually behave like one.
Those are your rights. My rights include the right to ignore you.
A right is not a substitute for using your brains. It’s good to think. It’s good to read a book, check your sources, find out what’s the right thing. Your opinion, no matter what you think, is not as good as everyone else’s, not when it’s based on hatred, ugliness, nonsense, and fake facts.
It’s fine to believe in facts, reality, and truth. Believing whatever you “feel” is “right” is total crap. Give reality a chance. Try reading a book, something your president hasn’t managed to do. Try thinking.
Our nation will be grateful to you. I personally will be grateful.
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Categories: Government, Law, U.S. Constitution
ABOUT THE GOOD OLD FIRST AMENDMENT – Marilyn Armstrong 
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I think our ridicule of 45 is a strong weapon. He doesn’t like to be ridiculed. That’s his kryptonite.
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“Springtime for Trump and America.
Winter for. … well … everybody else.
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I will happily be part of this Krytonite! Bring on the dancing Nazis.
Charlie Chaplin had the same idea … and to the degree that anything could work, it did.
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We are all in a “new reality here”. There is a huge, (excuse me )”Yuugggee” resistance movement forming. We have at this point very few weapons in our arsenal. But one of the most potent, in my opinion is mockery. And humor. 45 can’t stand being maked fun of. He HAS NO SENSE OF HUMOR. My hero is Mel Brooks. He has always understood that the worst thing Hitler or any dictator could handle was ridicle. 45 can’t stand it.
My Posts ridicule him. And that’s how I fight this war. And it is a war. Resist! But make it funny! Or not. Just RESIST!
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Yes. It’s the best we’ve got.
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I’m afraid that he won’t be able to keep No. Korea from lobbing weapons across to hit California!
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I’m getting a vicious headache from all of this. What a freaking nightmare.
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I don’t think of myself as an emotional person, but recently I’m not so sure — it’s all having a terrible effect on those of us who think about it!
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I have friends who have blood pressure so high, they are actually barely functional. It’s really BAD. I’ve been through a lot of shit over the years, but this isn’t like any of the other shit. This is worse and worse and even worse. We are not dealing with it well at all.
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I agree completely! I remember in about October you posted about things being really quiet and wondering what was up — was the Russian influence the explanation for that?
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I remember. I was right.
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By undermining the media, 45 will silence it among those who should hear it. But you knew that.
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Yes. Not only do I know it, but I’m waiting. Sooner or later, we’re going to see a flat out attack on the entire first amendment. What happens after that will tell us if this will continue being a democracy. I, like you, am not terrified of dying. I’m just terrified of dying while this thing is in office.
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I just wrote a blog post about it — my feelings, mostly. 😦
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I like it. I was going to Press It for later in the week, but for some reason, it won’t let me. WordPress is doing its own thing, I suppose. Basically, yes. I’m sure something additionally horrible will be up soon. I can hardly wait.
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I do not think this can endure. And if it does, that’s catastrophic disillusionment if nothing else. I was already feeling nervous when people looked on Obama as a savior.
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And yet when it was time, he left. But this is something else. Each day is a new trauma.
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The scariest thing of all is his followers. But I am just going to hope for the best and continue to write when I have to.
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What else is there to do? it’s not like we can join the militia and go out into the mountains to battle anything. And this isn’t WWII, either. So we wait. We do what we can do and we hope that however hideous it is going to be, we will somehow find a way to deal with it. But I have friends — I think i may be one of them — who are going to explode. Everything is going to blow fucking up.
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I think the system is going to be strained, but it will prevail. If it doesn’t, then it was fucked to start with. I’m impressed every day by some feat accomplished by some element of the resistance, mostly by the science guys. I’m actually kind of excited to be alive at this moment and witnessing this. I had a wonderful online conversation with the 22 year old girl who’s organizing the March for Science in Colorado Springs. “I’m a 22 year old activist,” she said, “and I’ve never done anything like this before.” THAT encourages me and I’m looking forward to meeting her in a couple of months. The whole WORLD hates 45. Something has to give — when, I don’t know. Meanwhile, we’ll live and speak and do what we can alongside others who are also doing what they can. ❤
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Be right ❤
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Well said! Thank you 🙂
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You are welcome.
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I. couldn’t agree more and the statistics of deficient readers currently enrolled in college bears this out.
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I know. I remember when we were supposed to be able to write, at least in a basic kind of way.
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My question is – what does one do about slander?
Leslie
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I don’t know. I just plain don’t know.
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It’s a problem.
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I’ve had the feeling that 45 is deliberately eroding the 1st amendment — if he succeeds to any degree, we are all in trouble!
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I’m trying to not think about it. Past a certain point, it’s all too much.
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Even John McCain is worried about losing the first amendment — he made a very strong statement today about how important it is to our democracy, and undermining it is how dictators get their start.
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I think we are not alone. Because when that is gone, what’s left?
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Exactly!
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“I have the right to ignore you.” That pretty much says it all. I’m doing a lot of ignoring these days, and I’m a lot happier that way. Although that’s not to say that I am unaware. There’s a fine line between ignoring and being oblivious.
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We are all doing the best we can. Garry pointed out that I have a bit of a bully pulpit here and maybe, it was time to use it. So I am. I don’t know if I’m solving any problems, but at least I’m trying. And ignoring as much as I can.
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Just keep doing this. Seriously, it helps. Every little bit helps. Staying quiet is not an option.
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Here is the bottom line. All of our lives we have been told “anybody can grow up to be president. It turns our that this is actually true! But we now know that just because it’s true it doesn’t mean anybody SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BECOME PRESIDENT!!!!!
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Yup. I think a basic reading test and a knowledge of the constitution might be a good start. The sort of thing you expect a 6th grader to know. But hey, I’m in favor of reading. Writing. Even — punctuation.
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🙂
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I know. You know I know. We all know. But what a horrible world we are creating.
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I’m so glad I’m not the only one who’s made this connection to the 1st amendment!
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Yeah, that fundamental belief that because you’re allowed, go right ahead. No matter how stupid, racist — and just plain WRONG — you are, say it anyway. Because, as we all know, every opinion is the same as every other opinion. It’s a lot of what is making this country so horrible these days.
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Yes. The forgotten part is, “You get to say what ever you want. No matter how stupid, racist, or just plain fucking dumb you can imagine. I also get the right to ignore you, or say just how dumb, stupid and racist you are.
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Yes, I think we have come to that. It doesn’t really help, but it makes us feel better, anyway. All the “good ways” of dealing with this crap seem to be done. Now, we just snarl at each other. Not solving any problems, but at least we don’t have to feel like the stupid liberals who can’t fight back because “we’re so weak.”
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Es verdad, Pancho!
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Reblogged this on Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit and commented:
Amen!!
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Thank you. I know that people saying stupid shit is not exactly a “new thing” in this country, but it sure has gotten worse.
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Think before you speak. What a concept!! i LIKE IT!
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