We are in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, as well as major political and social upheaval. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has gained great momentum in the wake of George Floyd being killed by police. This has led to discourse, disagreements, and digressions within my extended family and some of our friends. We have a text group which includes Lynn, myself, Taylor, Connor and his wife (Molly), and our friends Dave and Denise. We refer to the group as the Wolf Pack.
Our daughter, Taylor, lives in Portland, Oregon where the BLM protests have been in the national spotlight. Taylor attends the protests regularly. Our son, Connor, is a police officer in the Seattle area. Dave and Denise live in the Bay Area in Northern California.
Recently, Taylor asked the group what they thought was more important, the First or Second Amendment. She didn’t get any serious response from the group, just some sarcastic answers. I did not see the text stream until after most was already said and done. I think that Taylor asked an interesting question, what is more important, our 1st or 2nd amendment rights? If you are not up on your constitutional amendments, basically the First Amendment is about freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble. The Second Amendment is about the right to bear arms. Taylor asked for feedback from the group. I am guessing that it was Dave’s somewhat sarcastic response that got her upset. She has regularly been attending the protests in Portland and is seeing people’s First Amendment rights being denied. There is some irony in the fact that the protests are about protecting other’s rights, such as those promised in the Fourteenth Amendment (all people will have equal protection of the laws). I am so very proud of Taylor for standing up for her beliefs and to be taking action, even with her knowing that it may bring her bodily harm.
Taylor had also posted a meme that showed the head of the NRA, holding a gun, with the title, “Forgets to Rise Up Against Tyrannical Government.” Below the image it says, “An embarrassed National Rifle Association says it totally forgot to do the one thing it has been saying for years it is solely there to do.”
The meme about the NRA is quite fantastic, perhaps because it highlights some of the real shortcomings of the Second Amendment. What we do see is that the right to bear arms has become a war-cry for those who’s fear and self interest have nothing to do with the security and freedom of the nation’s citizens, as was intended by the amendment. I really appreciate Taylor’s question, as it got me thinking about these various rights we are supposed to have, as guaranteed by our constitution, and to see how the Second Amendment has so much support, despite all of the harm done by guns. And, we see how the First and Fourteenth Amendments are trampled with little regard given to them. So, I guess my answer to Taylor’s question is that, for me, the First Amendment is much more important. This line of thinking also gets one wondering about the constitution in general, and how it was written in a different time and perhaps it is due for some modernization.
I believe that any individual’s right to freedom of speech is significant, whether it is in the political arena, or in a group text. How are we to understand one another otherwise? And, it seems that part of that freedom of speech, would ideally, allow for discourse with respect to one another and with tolerance to different perspectives. There is a difference in freedom of speech and freedom to be rude. Tolerance and civility are traits that should be promoted in our society, not vitriol and hate, like we regularly see in the media and from our current president. I would hope for this especially to be the case amongst our group text. I was disturbed to see Taylor have such a quick, angry response to Dave. I assume this is a result of her deep commitment to her cause and her frustration at what she is seeing in the world. I would hope that we can joke with one another, and not second guess ourselves when speaking to the group, and if we say something that is inappropriate, that we can be called-out in a civil manner. I want my thinking to be challenged so that I can become more clear with who I am and have a better understanding of others. I enjoy the discourse amongst our group, which tends to be very light hearted, but I welcome the more difficult subjects as they are the topics that truly help me to become a better person, especially during this time of change and unrest in our world.