As many of you know, facebook allows its users to post a “status” statement. The person’s friends can then “like” this statement and even respond to it.
The following is an exchange between my younger son, whom I’ll call “demigotc” and a friend of his, both of whom are 14-year-old 8th graders.
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Friend
Stop making groups or posts saying you want to kill Barack Obama or Justin Beiber or things like that. There are certain people that I dislike, but that doesn’t mean I want them to die. Think before you post.
demigotc
I agree with you. But they’re allowed to “like” whatever they want, regardless of whether or not you like or agree with it. Not to be rude or anything, but I’m just saying.
10 hours ago
Friend
There’s a difference between saying that you don’t like something and wanting it to die
9 hours ago
demigotc
But that doesn’t change the fact that people have the right to express their opinions.
9 hours ago
Friend
There are boundaries
9 hours ago
demigotc
Nah, not really. Again, I don’t agree with these groups at all. But some people do, and while these groups annoy you, what annoys me is when people constantly lose sight of the wonderful freedoms we have, and to say there are “boundaries”, just make it seem like all those men 200 some years ago died for nothing. People insult my religion at school for instance, they have that right as Americans. Of course, I don’t like it or agree with them, but even so.
9 hours ago
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Some of our leaders could learn a lot about both courtesy and freedom from a couple of junior high kids.
Tags: First Amendment, Free Speech, History, Politics
