Issue 156 Free speech and clowns September 4, 2013

If you haven't heard we all have this right. It is essential for the transmitting of ideas from one person to another. Even speech we do not agree with must be maintained as if one form of speech becomes intolerable, then all speech is under threat.

The Clown: At a rodeo at a fair in the United States, a rodeo clown donned an Obama mask. People at the event said it was funny as the clown made a fool of himself. But others did not. The NAACP saw it as racism and called on the secret service to investigate. Others acted to ban the clown from the fair for life. But this is free speech people responded in return. It did not matter though, as it was seen by the people who saw racism and hatred that it was a threat to the President. Mind you, other rodeo clowns have worn masks of past presidents such as both President's Bush and Bush Jr. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Of course Nixon was mocked as well. It was neither racism nor hatred that made the clown wear the mask of Obama, it was speech and entertainment.

Are we really that intolerant: Yup we are very intolerant to other people’s ideas. We want to believe in only our own ideas and shut out those that disagree with us. When confronted with ideas that run counter to ours we tend to get aggressive. If our opinions and facts are proven wrong, we go through a denial phase. Does it make sense that we would reject others ideas when we are wrong? Yes as we are human. There was people burning the American flag and burning effigies of President Bush Jr. but still the Secret Service did not act on those because they where not a threat, and neither is that clown. It is most probably in my opinion that the reason people reacted so harsh to the clown and his mask is because of the past treatment of Black Americans in the U.S. Apparently we need to grow up a little.

How can we get tolerant: It is simple to become a better person. If you do not agree with a person you have two options. You either can engage in peaceful logical debate or simply ignore them. It is your right to disagree, but not to shut a person up. There is a difference between respecting another individual’s right to speech and shutting them out of society. Sure you can say you will not have them in your store for their actions like the Mayor of San Francisco who shoved his tongue down women's throats, but if it is speech like mockery like a clown or Bill Mar then just look away and cup your ears. You don't have to listen at all. We have to remember that even if it is speech we do not agree with, we have to defend people’s right to say such things.

Conclusion: This rodeo clown thankfully has only been banned from that one particular fair. But others are still trying to ban him from being a clown completely. He has a right to free speech and so do you. The past history of the United States is not an excuse to put the fear of God into anyone. Be the better person and let go of your fear and anger or you will only hurt future generations. Remember your speech may be the one being cut off next.