First Amendment is for all – even opponents | Powhatan Today – Richmond.com

In some ways, you find out if you truly believe in certain fundamental rights when you are asked to apply them equally to someone with whom you are completely at odds.

I have long been a staunch supporter of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Having been a journalist since I joined my high school newspaper freshman year, it is easy to see why at least one part of the amendment particularly appeals to me. While I agree we need rules in place to try to make journalists use this right responsibly which I fully recognize does not always happen I believe freedom of the press is a hugely important part of a democracy.

But if I am being honest, even as I will staunchly defend it as a journalist and as an American, I dont always want to do so. Sometimes my belief in the most fundamental American right there is the right to freely say what you think is at odds with the part of me that says, what about human decency?

To this day, one of the most stomach-churning examples of this I can think of involved Westboro Baptist Church, which went around the country holding anti-gay protests outside military funerals. Everything about what they were doing was reprehensible to me and made me feel physically ill. And I will fully admit that when the case of a man suing the church for picketing his sons funeral went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, a big part of me wanted them to lose. The part that resisted was the part that recognized if you keep chipping away at the right of free speech, eventually you will have nothing left.

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First Amendment is for all - even opponents | Powhatan Today - Richmond.com