This Slate article from March 23 is regarding freedom of speech. In the state of Texas, there is a debate regarding first amendment speech. A group named The Sons of Confederate Veterans has proposed a state license plate depicting the Confederate (Rebel) Flag. Are license plates a public forum? In a traditional public forum, a citizen is free to express their views, such as in a public park. Are we venturing down the slippery slope of censorship? Or are we as a nation just becoming more conscious of being politically correct and not damaging a group’s values and beliefs? Chapter Sixteen of our textbook is regarding ethics. The first section is even titled, “Political Ethics An Oxymoron?” The textbook addresses ethics and our national character (p. 323). A symbol such as a flag embodies a message. How you decipher that message is up to you. Some citizens see the Confederate Flag as a symbol of slavery and some see it as a symbol of Southern history. When we see and process a symbol, it creates a reality in which we think and act. Our codes of conduct are communicated through boundaries. If something is rejected by society, it is probably not a good idea to use it out in public. But isn’t freedom of speech the cornerstone of Democracy? If we begin to censor symbols, where will it end? But as our textbook states on p. 332, “ Ethical choices about language are mandatory in a society that negotiates boundaries of conduct through communication. Freedom of speech is a fundamental value of democracy. With that freedom comes responsibility.” We as a nation should be able to agree to disagree, open dialogs and retain our basic freedoms.
~Debbie
