Shouting Fire was is well done, thought-provoking, and it does come to some profound conclusions; free speech is not “free” but is worth fighting for, is critical to a democracy, and 9/11 has impacted the civil liberties of all Americans. However, this documentary leaves more penetrating questions than it answers (at least debates), surrounding one of our greatest, yet most complex, constitutional rights.
Should universities and students be forced to put up with professors who use their free speech (usually full of leftist hyperbole and hateful rhetoric) to coerce or intimidate students toward their political agenda? Should this be part of any curriculum at all?
Should the media and journalists (or anybody else for that matter) be allowed to falsely accuse, libel, slander, and spew out bullshit just to assassinate someone’s character? On the other hand are the media and journalists allowed to expose and report the truth even if it’s not popular and/or may hurt someone?
Why is it that we can no longer pray in school but we can have a national day of silence for the LGBT community? Where is the equality in that? Should schools be able to ban offensive speech even if it's not violent? How do we define offensive? How do we define hate speech? I have socks that say “dopers suck” – is that offensive? What about all of the pornographic T-shirts?
Do we do have the right to a peaceable assembly even if that means dissent? Yes, in fact, it is American to speak out when we think our government is doing something wrong, because it is “we the people” who make up this nation, and it is through our speaking out that we can sustain what is good about America, change what is bad and fulfill the vision of our forefathers –- “to form a more perfect Union.”
Should we be surprised or even complain when our law enforcement responds to our "protest" in order to ensure our assembly remains peaceful? As long as they don't respond like the recent events in Iran with extreme brutality, improper use of force, and unwarranted arrests.
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