by Leslie Ann Campbell

Created on: August 11, 2008

Christian bashing is the current trend. I find it ironic that anyone would want to deny Christians the right to freedom of speech when it is because of Christians we have many of our freedom of speech Supreme Court rulings.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have been especially helpful in developing our freedom of speech laws. It was in the case of "West Virginia State Board vs. Barnett" (1943) where the Jehovah's Witnesses challenged a law requiring their children to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. The Court ruled in favor of the Witnesses on the grounds that freedom of speech meant that speech could not be coerced. In "Prince v. Mass." (1944) the Court ruled that the state can not prevent a child from exercising her freedom of speech to practice her religion on a street corner. More recently, in "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society v. Village of Stratton" (2002) the Court ruled that the Witnesses were not required to register with the mayor of Stratton and receive a permit before proselytizing door to door.

Whether you agree with their message or not, the Jehovah Witnesses have repeatedly fought for the freedom of speech. U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Harlan Fiske Stone wrote, "The Jehovah's Witnesses ought to have an endowment in view of the aid which they give in solving the legal problems of civil liberties." Furthermore, in his book "These Also Believe", Professor C. S. Braden writes: "They [Jehovah's Witnesses] have performed a signal service to democracy by their fight to preserve their civil rights, for in their struggle they have done much to secure those rights for every minority group in America. When the civil rights of any one group are invaded, the rights of no other group are safe. They have therefore made a definite contribution to the preservation of some of the most precious things in our democracy."

Perhaps you don't agree with these decisions. Perhaps you think that children should be forced to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Whether you agree with someone's message or not, their right to speak it, or in this case, not speak it, should be protected. What is someone didn't agree with what you had to say? What if that same person or group became into power?

Everyone today seems to be tripping over themselves to show how patriotic they are. There are yellow ribbons everywhere. Some people even display these yellow ribbon magnets that they slap on their cars to prove their loyalty to their country. That's all well and good. Those people are creating speech when they act in this manner. It is speech by actions, but it is speech nevertheless. Forcing someone to act patriotic takes away the very basis of patriotism because it has removed the freedom on which our very nation is based.

To even suggest that the Christians should have their freedom of speech limited is absurd. I say let us be grateful to the Christians, especially the Jehovah Witnesses, who bring cases such as these to the courts for interpretation. It is not fun to go through the appeal process, yet these brave people do so. They do it for freedom. And I for one would fight anyone who would dare to try to take that freedom away from them.

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