by Roger Crain

Created on: September 27, 2010   Last Updated: October 25, 2010

Our founding fathers knew the importance of free speech when the first amendment was written into the U. S. Constitution.  Beginning with the administration of Thomas Jefferson, the rights of the common man would not be the same again:  As a direct result of electing Jefferson the third president, there has been various factions to rise up and challenged the conventional wisdom of the status quo as those acts related to free speech.  From those infamous slave rebellions of the early 1800's to the more contemporary rebellions of the 1960's, defending free speech has become a thorn in the side of the advocate.

The Denmark Vesey Conspiracy and the Nat Turner Uprising happened about eight years apart.  The significance of those two respective rebellions were about defending free speech if not about anything.  Here was two historical events which happened about the same time span, and the only visible spokesperson for the black race was Frederick Douglas.  It goes without saying that there would be obvious uprisings to combat the indignities of slavery, and thus, forged a new paradigm for the black slave.

Yet today, images that we have seen in society make us recoil in revulsion at the perpetrators who would dare to don their graphic attire as an expression of their free speech rights.

I'm talking about those extremist and/or social groups who don't hesitate to display their coarse or raunchy messages imprinted on their T-shirts:  "Niggers Go Home" or referring to black people with the N-word in various colorful disguises.  It was no wonder that Marcus Garvey devised his "Back to Africa Movement" with intent to revive the pride and dignity of black people in this country.  And the images that we see today do not help matters.  Have we not been repulse when we see two healthy young specimens of humanity strolling arm in arm while wearing skin-tight leather pants and skirts showing various imprints of the male and female anatomy respectively?  These messages are long overdue not to mention that they bordered crudely on those ubiquitous T-shirts with that never-ending theme printed on the front:  Sex. 

Still, we are admonished to become a more tolerant society; and yet, to defend free speech whenever the need arises.  Because in the final analysis if free speech is not adequately defended in our unjust society, then all of us will suffer the consequences.  It's better to be safe than sorry.

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