Guess its not fun to find out how bad it is to express a point of view. Go look at all the hoops abortion protestors have to jump through. They wouldn't even dare cross the threshold of the business because by law most can't even come within shouting distance of their targets.
So yeah, welcome to the club. Business and government use the power of the later to enforce their will. The sad part is, people will cheer this type of behavior on provided its exercised against people they don't like but suddenly they are all aghast of when it hits them.
As with all other forms of freedom of speech, asking the government to silence people you do not like is akin to allowing government to silence you when someone else does not like your speech.
Anti-choice protesters have assaulted women trying to get low cost health care, have murdered doctors, and have aligned themselves against the poorest, least powerful people in this country (poor women of color). Recently, a pro-life group distributed a message suggesting pretending to provide rides to women needing health care, but actually kidnapping them and taking them to a church. This is crazy shit, and some of them are terrifying people.
I also believe you're misrepresenting the state of affairs. Anti-choice protesters can protest right outside of clinics on sidewalks, streets, etc. At least in my state, they can. And, I've not seen much in the way of police violence against anti-choice protesters. I haven't seen police setting up anti-choice protesters and encouraging them to commit violent acts. Maybe this is happening, and I just don't know it, because I'm not in those circles (I think it's assumed here in this thread that I'm left wing, but that's not really accurate; though I am firmly pro-choice). I know it isn't happening in my state, however, as I saw it with my own eyes. Pro-choice groups were stalked by police, while pro-life groups were ignored even when they became aggressive and got physical.
Anyway, I've never asked for pro-life activists to be silenced. I do think that if they physically prevent someone from getting medical care, they are violating that person's basic rights. I also find it particularly reprehensible that they target the poorest and least powerful people. Wealthy white women get abortions all the time at places other than Planned Parenthood or other free and low cost clinics; but, pro-life groups would rather harass the weak and poor, who are often just needing birth control or medical services unrelated to abortion.
Freedom of speech as it's written in the 1st amendment is NOT a blanket of protection against everything you say.
"In America, you’re simply guaranteed the right to speak without the government taking action against you. However, that doesn’t mean your employer can’t fire you for bad-mouthing him on Facebook, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want whenever you want with full impunity"
Guess its not fun to find out how bad it is to express a point of view. Go look at all the hoops abortion protestors have to jump through. They wouldn't even dare cross the threshold of the business because by law most can't even come within shouting distance of their targets.
Abortion protestors don't merely express a point of view, they deliberately attempt to prevent people from accessing health services at places where an abortion may be provided. A protestor that disrupts a business or barricades themselves to a door can reasonably be expected to be detained or arrested, but not charged with terrorism or charged with major felonies.
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Guess its not fun to find out how bad it is to express a point of view. Go look at all the hoops abortion protestors have to jump through. They wouldn't even dare cross the threshold of the business because by law most can't even come within shouting distance of their targets.
So yeah, welcome to the club. Business and government use the power of the later to enforce their will. The sad part is, people will cheer this type of behavior on provided its exercised against people they don't like but suddenly they are all aghast of when it hits them.
As with all other forms of freedom of speech, asking the government to silence people you do not like is akin to allowing government to silence you when someone else does not like your speech.
Do you really believe the two are comparable?
Anti-choice protesters have assaulted women trying to get low cost health care, have murdered doctors, and have aligned themselves against the poorest, least powerful people in this country (poor women of color). Recently, a pro-life group distributed a message suggesting pretending to provide rides to women needing health care, but actually kidnapping them and taking them to a church. This is crazy shit, and some of them are terrifying people.
I also believe you're misrepresenting the state of affairs. Anti-choice protesters can protest right outside of clinics on sidewalks, streets, etc. At least in my state, they can. And, I've not seen much in the way of police violence against anti-choice protesters. I haven't seen police setting up anti-choice protesters and encouraging them to commit violent acts. Maybe this is happening, and I just don't know it, because I'm not in those circles (I think it's assumed here in this thread that I'm left wing, but that's not really accurate; though I am firmly pro-choice). I know it isn't happening in my state, however, as I saw it with my own eyes. Pro-choice groups were stalked by police, while pro-life groups were ignored even when they became aggressive and got physical.
Anyway, I've never asked for pro-life activists to be silenced. I do think that if they physically prevent someone from getting medical care, they are violating that person's basic rights. I also find it particularly reprehensible that they target the poorest and least powerful people. Wealthy white women get abortions all the time at places other than Planned Parenthood or other free and low cost clinics; but, pro-life groups would rather harass the weak and poor, who are often just needing birth control or medical services unrelated to abortion.
Freedom of speech as it's written in the 1st amendment is NOT a blanket of protection against everything you say.
"In America, you’re simply guaranteed the right to speak without the government taking action against you. However, that doesn’t mean your employer can’t fire you for bad-mouthing him on Facebook, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want whenever you want with full impunity"
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/opinion/guest_opinion/fr...
Abortion protestors don't merely express a point of view, they deliberately attempt to prevent people from accessing health services at places where an abortion may be provided. A protestor that disrupts a business or barricades themselves to a door can reasonably be expected to be detained or arrested, but not charged with terrorism or charged with major felonies.