Beech Tree News Network

In grade school we were required to stand and recite from memory the preamble to our US constitution: “We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution of the United States of America .” (Hang on this may go somewhere.)
This document gives to us-citizen Joe and Josephine alike-certain “INALIENABLE rights,” rights that may not be taken away or transferred; (INALIENABLE).”
    Along with these rights, however, go responsibilities: “Hey buddy, your rights cease where your fist stops and my nose begins”, goes the old sayings.
    Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once declared, “Freedom of speech does not give one the right to holler “FIRE” in a crowded theatre.” I suppose this could be violent speech,” simply causing people to panic and hurt or maybe kill one another, not good.
    Non-violent speech, whether in the form of voice of silent protest or in innuendo is not always to our liking but does come under the freedom of speech clause in our Constitution.
    A day or so back I watched on TV news several national league football (NFL) players refusing to stand at the playing of our National Anthem. What or why they were protesting was not disclosed. However I would guess it was something about our country they do or did not like.
    This country where they are given the opportunity to play professional sports; this country where many desire but few are chosen and deemed ”good enough” to be where they are.
    Perhaps they do not know or for some reason do not want to know, the blessings they enjoy from living in America. Stokley Carmichael said it best I think, the former leader of the radical Black Panther group back in the ‘60s, was convicted of civil rights violations, I think it was anyway he flee to a foreign country. He eventually returned to the US giving himself up, “I’D RATHER LIVE IN JAIL IN THE UNITED STATEs, FROM WHAT I’VE SEEN THAN LIVE FREE IN ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, “he said. Right-on Stokley. Sail on O’ ships of state…

Kindest Regards...