NO SECOND THOUGHTS: Free Speech for the Dumb

By JOEL PHELPS | The Arkadelphian

When our nation’s founding fathers penned the Constitution 235 years ago, the first thing on their mind was ensuring that citizens had the right to express themselves: 

“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.” (Ed: “Offensive language in the linked song; play it loud or don’t play it at all.”)

While times have certainly changed — for the worse, many will argue, including Yours Truly — no language in the First Amendment has been altered. It has come to our attention that citizens in our own community are being silenced.

Our state’s government is pushing their version of educational reform down our throats — reform that, by all accounts, our public school educators didn’t ask for and do not support. There’s opposition afoot to repeal the Arkansas LEARNS Act, and we hope it makes it to the ballot so that the people of our state can decide.

Opponents will be carrying out their rights as Americans this very week in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where they will assemble so that their voices may be heard. We’ll be there, and we hope you will be, too.

One of the event organizers shared with us a list of folks invited to speak at Thursday’s event, and among the tentative speakers were educators from two area public school districts. They were both aboard the anti-LEARNS train until, it appears, they were “encouraged” by their superiors not to take part in the CAPES rally because it would seem like they’re representing their school district. Wishing to avoid any potential repercussions from their supervisors, both declined the invitation to speak, yielding their rights of free speech to authoritarians.

It shouldn’t matter who you work for. This is America. We have rights as citizens to speak up. This isn’t Russia. This isn’t China. Not yet. If we continue to be stripped of our basic freedoms — the ability to talk out loud in little ol’ Arkadelphia, Arkansas — then, by God, we might as well be living in Russia or China.

Shame on anyone in a supervisory role who stands in the way of freedom.