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I have something that just sticks in my craw...whatever that means (and it's not your post to me).

This whole idea of "freedom of speech". I hear people say all the time that, "well, I have the right to say whatever I want", and quote the First Amendment on that. Even - or especially - those who don't know, follow or like politics always have that comeback ready: "I have the freedom of speech in this country, and as such I have the right to say whatever I want."

My opinion on the subject, as a recent studier of political things (about the last four or five years), is that the First Amendment is used as a way to either cut off debate (i.e. who gives a bleep about your view, I can say whatever I want, neener neener), or a way to insert a 'strawman' argument (i.e. they're claiming something was said that was never said...iow, no one ever said that you DIDN'T have the right to say whatever you want, and they want to argue that with you, totally getting away from the original point of the debate/conversation).

Or, they believe that the First Amendment's "freedom of speech" entitles them to say whatever they want without consequence, or repercussion. As I read the Amendment, it doesn't seem to say that at all. It says, "CONGRESS shall make no law...(ed. comment: except for McCain/Feingold) abridging the freedom of speech..."

Does anybody know of any case law that got all the way up to the SCOTUS, where it was determined that "freedom of speech" under the First Amendment applies to any and everything that a person says ...not dealing with any intervention from Congress? Where did this Amendment, or this part of the Amendment, get so misconstrued?

I need a FRink...

People have a hard time and cannot focus on things because someone else does their thinking for them. The are simply repeating something they heard on the evening news or some other source. Education doesn't always help people to be able to think on their own two feet. It is easy to parrot somebody as if it were their own thought. The Democrats are great at repeating liberal ideas of Bush hate.