Defending free speech — all of it
The assassination of Charlie Kirk last week sparked wide-ranging considerations of free speech. I’m concerned the Orlando Sentinel’s coverage in Opinion columns and news articles doesn’t reflect a full belief in that basic right.
“The high cost of reckless rhetoric” (Sept. 14), a guest commentary, claims that “words are matches.” No, they’re words. The Clay Bennett political cartoon (also Sept. 14), showing dueling megaphones with the words “Extremist Rhetoric,” blamed rhetoric from both political parties. No, the problem is the person who shot Charlie Kirk. The next day, an Associated Press story headlined “Kirk case shows limits of free speech on, off clock” continued the trend.
The problem isn’t speech. Kirk was nonviolently exercising his right to free speech. People who criticized him after he died were exercising free speech, as were those who praised him. So, too, were people who critically pointed out online posts they found offensive. And a company or organization that held an employee accountable for posts that could reflect poorly on it was also exercising its rights. (Caveat: A few posts called for the death of other individuals, and those posts might be illegal.)
Two troubling phrases have become common. Some say, “silence is violence” and some say, “words are violence.” Both are untrue. Some people use both phrases in different situations, leading to the conclusion that the only speech that isn’t violence is the speech that the person citing them agrees with. Speech, even speech I find reprehensible, should be free and should never be met with violence.
Mark Winz Orlando
Guns equal violence, political or not
I believe all the talk about political violence is irrelevant; I don’t believe there is a clear line between violence and political violence, nor should it matter.
If a president is shot at, that is clear. But what about a politician’s family? Most people would call that political violence. What about young men trying to get people to register to vote? What about kids killed because someone hates their school? What about a killing during a robbery? It doesn’t matter the motive, violence is gripping our nation.
I believe the Second Amendment is meant for solely for an organized militia, not the notion that every citizen can carry a firearm in public with no permit. What is clear is that guns enable violence.
Get it, my friends? The violence will not stop until we do something.
Vote to restrict guns. The life you save may be your kid or your kid’s kid or your favorite — or even your least favorite — politician.
Philip Styne Orlando
Could UK castle give Trump decorating ideas?
So now King Charles and his many minions have welcomed Donald J. Trump during his trip across the pond, hoping to score some breaks on the tariffs he has imposed on them.
They planned to air out the nicest suite in Windsor Castle (a real castle, where the gold accoutrements have been on the walls for longer than anyone ever thought possible). The best part of all of this is that when Trump returns home, he’ll have a head full of ideas about how to spruce up the dull old White House. He could have a castle façade added, and also a beautiful moat, with drawbridges controlled by buttons at the Resolute Desk. And those little things on the wall by the front door that they use in England to put out their torches!
Better yet, he could start renting out rooms in the White House — time shares of a sort — and in each room, a Trump Bible in the nightstand drawer, Trump vodka in the wet bar, and Make America Great Again sweatbands and running shoes when it’s time to hit the White House gym (special hourly rate of $299 for his guests).
Finally, the White House will be worth something to somebody. But if you do take advantage of Trump’s special stay offer, watch what you say while you’re there. That might be a bug in Lincoln’s portrait’s left eye.
Russ Kesler Orlando
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