We are Free to Be You, Me, Stupid and Dead by Roger...

From the opening sentence of the essay, â€Å"We are free to be you, me, stupid, and dead†, Roger Rosenblatt hones in on a very potent and controversial topic. He notes the fundamental truth that although humans will regularly shield themselves with the omnipresent first amendment, seldom do we enjoy having the privilege we so readily abuse be used against us. Freedom of speech has been a controversial issue throughout the world. Our ability to say whatever we want is very important to us as individuals and communities. Although freedom of speech and expression may sometimes be offensive to other people, it is still everyone’s right to express his/her opinion under the American constitution which states that â€Å"congress shall make no law†¦show more content†¦From the opening sentence, Roger Rosenblatt hones in on a very potent and controversial topic. He notes the fundamental truth that although humans will regularly shield themselves with the omnipresent first amendment, seldom do we enjoy having the privilege we so readily abuse be used against us. He offers an example in a basketball player named Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf who once refused to stand up during the national anthem. This action (or rather lack of it) was greeted with hostility as well as suspensions. The authors emotions are not made subtle, as he openly insults those who suspended him, and makes several ironic statements relating their actions and how it would have been severely frowned upon by the founding fathers. In his next paragraph, Rosenblatt chronicles the story of John Rocker, a relief pitcher who made an inflammatory and rather bigoted statement about not wishing to ride public transportation with those whom he feels are either a nuisance, or simply make him uncomfortable with their alternate lifestyles (such as â€Å"queers†). Rosenblatt notes that the courts did not interfere with their suspension as the first amendment merely grants one the right to speech, not total immunity. Rosenblatt however finds folly with this, and feels that Rocker possessed the right to spout his ignorant blather. This entire essay isShow MoreRelatedThe Drawbacks of Freedom Essay947 Words   |  4 Pagesrestrictions, which can be considered beneficial to the public. In â€Å"we are free to be you, me, stupid, and dead† by Roger Rosenb latt, he relays the disadvantages of limitless freedom. He focuses mainly on freedom of speech and the possible drawbacks to having ungoverned freedom of expression. Roger points out the public faulty rationale in the first paragraph as he says, â€Å"Everyone loves free expression as long as it isnt exercised†. Here, Roger reveals the contradiction between the people’s demand for the