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Originally Posted by The_Dunedan
Horseshit. This is AMERICA, Goddammit. "Free Speech Zones" my chapped Creole ass; the whole gorram COUNTRY is a "free speech zone," every last God-rotted square inch. Any infringement of this right is oppressive, and ought by every moral man/woman who thinks themselves free to be resisted.
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The system doesn't always work perfectly, but what happened in Seattle is a perfect example of why what you suggested works just as poorly. The right to protest FREE OF CONSEQUENCES is constrained by all of the other laws that govern this nation. You don't get a free pass to trespass or commit assault or vandalize property simply because you're doing so with the intention to send a message to someone or other. Now, if you engage in those activities and are willing to accept the consequences of illegal activities that occur during your protest, that's fine, but your right to protest doesn't give you the right to infringe on the rights of others without reprimand or penalty.
The entire first amendment, remember, was intended to prevent the government from enacting laws
prohibiting people from assembling or assembling-that whole notion of prior restraint. It was never intended to allow people to do whatever they wanted and it has never been interpreted to mean as such.