As Americans we are guaranteed our rights to speak freely, to practice religion freely, to utilize the freedom of the press, to peacefully assemble, and to petition against the government. Are the rights actually protected by the society we live in today, and if they are, how far are people willing to fight for those freedoms?
These rights are often talked about on a national level when they are infringed or when they are being protected. However, these rights are applicable everywhere, even in Greenwood.
Senior Violet Mull hosted a school wide walk-out against gun violence in August. It was beneficial to the school because it called attention to the fears of gun violence, but was it worth it when a group of students joined in to make fun of something that Mull is passionate about. This group of students saw this as an opportunity to get out of school and even mocked the students involved. This makes me question, why do people stand up for what they believe in when they get mocked and shamed?
On the other hand, FCA hosted a See You at the Pole event. This is an example of the student body exercising their rights. They met up in the morning before school and prayed. No one mocked them and it exemplified Chrisitian togetherness. This raises the question, do people agree with others exercising their rights if they do not agree with their points of view?
First Amendment rights are important on a local scale but are also important on a national scale as well.
On Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk was speaking at a school in Utah and was shot. This sparked the country to speak out for the protection of First Amendment rights, because he died while defending his thoughts and ideals. Many people were inspired by Kirk to post or say what they actually believe. The death of Kirk brought awareness to the death of defending our liberties.
The current presidential administration called out the people who did not defend Kirk, and claimed that he was simply standing up for what he believed in. However; Jimmy Kimmel, a late night talk show host, went on air and spoke about the hypocrisy of the death of Kirk. He spoke on the fact that the man who shot Kirk was a conservative himself and the fact that Kirk supported the use of guns in America. President Trump swiftly went to Truth Social, his own form of X, and condemned Kimmel, even calling him stupid and the worst talk show host of all time. ABC pulled his show from the air indefinitely, but he returned a few days later.
According to the people defending Kirk and the Trump administration, we are allowed to exercise our rights freely, so why is it when Kimmel speaks on something that defies the current administration, he loses his job?
It seems in the current day and age, our First Amendment rights are not so guaranteed. With the mocking of the walk-out to Kimmel being removed from air, what is the true cost of defending what we believe in? Is America willing to cry out for change so everyone can speak freely, or is the 1st Amendment losing its ground?
