Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Freedom of Speech

So, I read an article about a man in New Mexico who paid to have a billboard ad saying "This Would Have Been A Picture Of My 2-Month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To Not KILL Our Child!” It also had a picture of the man holding the outline of an infant. It stemmed because his ex-girlfriend had an abortion against his.
She has taken him to court for harassment and violation of privacy. The court official has suggested the billboard be removed.
Distasteful? Offensive? Maybe, but over 200 years in this country the First Amendment protects distasteful and offensive speech
The question that come from this is, are we looking at a violation of privacy of freedom of speech?
Now remember just earlier this year, U.S. Supreme Court made their decision concerning the Westboro Baptist Church. They were known for its anti-gay protests at military funerals and other high-profile events. As unpopular, distasteful and offensive as it may be, The Supreme Court, in an 8 to 1 decision, said that is protected speech.
So, the high court's decision to allow the protests, as hurtful as they are, is grounds for this man to put up the abortion billboard.
The ex-girlfriend claimed she had a miscarriage, not an abortion but regardless, her private life is not a matter of public interest.
Whether she had a miscarriage or not, the question remains about where do we draw the line. The Constitution is what this country was founded on. It is our living contract with one another, but expressing oneself in order to be hurtful to another gets to be a touchy situation.
I did check out the picture of the billboard and it never mentions her name or shows her picture so he could have, in theory, been talking about anyone. So, who's the dumb one here? Him for posting it or her for claiming it was directed to her?
I am curious to see the outcome of all this.

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