| The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United | | | | the United States list as terrorist organizations? |
| States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The | | | | Further, who determines that and what are their |
| amendment prohibits the making of any law impeding | | | | qualifications to do so? What constitutes a terrorist |
| the infringing on the freedom of speech. Something | | | | organization and what are the reasons for designating |
| that important, one would think amending or impinging | | | | them as such? |
| on those rights would be screamed by every | | | | How long will it be before any organization or person |
| newspaper, radio and TV station in the land. So why | | | | disagreeing with United States policy, domestic or |
| is it, I only read it in The Nation? Where is the | | | | foreign, is labeled a terrorist? This is a much bigger |
| outrage? Where are the protestors? | | | | deal than the publicity it has been given. If you |
| You can be sent to jail for fifteen years merely | | | | disagree with the label the United States government |
| advocating for peace and human rights according to | | | | has stuck on some organization then you are |
| the Supreme Court of the United States ruling. The | | | | forbidden to advocate for that group in any way, |
| court ruled on June 21, 2010 that the First | | | | shape or form. There is no right to disagree. How |
| Amendment does not protect anyone advocating, | | | | scary is that? |
| including speech, assistance for peace and human | | | | This is the story about how to boil a frog. If you just |
| rights to any organization deemed a terrorist | | | | pop it in boiling water it will jump out and hop away. |
| organization by the United States. The court ruled, | | | | If you put it in tepid water and raise the temperature |
| for the first time in history, that Congress can make | | | | a degree or two at a time it won't notice, and finally |
| it a crime to advocate for wholly lawful, nonviolent | | | | it is sitting in the boiling water. |
| ends. | | | | Our rights are being eroded a degree or two at a |
| It is a crime to write an amicus brief (court paper) in | | | | time and this is one that should bring a lot more |
| support of a so designated group, assist it before | | | | publicity than it is getting. |
| any public body or even publish an op-ed about the | | | | There is no question that the United States |
| group. | | | | government is all powerful. We have seen that many |
| The Nation goes on to say, in the eyes of the | | | | times when they advocate for "children's safety" and |
| Supreme Court, multinational corporations must be | | | | innocents are killed and no agents of the government |
| allowed to spend millions on political campaigns, but a | | | | ever stand for punishment. There was never so |
| human rights activist can be sent to jail for pursuing | | | | much as an indictment. This is the government we |
| peace. | | | | should be very wary of. It has no respect for |
| The question now is, who knows which organizations | | | | freedom. |