Opinion

Exercise the First Amendment

Matthew Caster
Opinion Columnist

For those of you already pounding away at your keyboards, writing me even more hateful e-mail just because I got published again, please note that I intended for my last article to be rife with what I call the three Sis: satire, sarcasm and subjectivity. Each of these critical vocabulary words is essential to understanding virtually anything written on the opinion pages of this, or any, publication.

That, friends, is the subject of todayis lesson: freedom of speech. The neat thing about this country is that, with few exceptions, most of the stuff you see in the press or hear from a podium is protected by the Bill of Rights.

Americans in general have a skewed vision of freedom of speech these days. Technically, the Dixie Chicks singer is allowed to get up on a stage and tell the whole world sheis embarrassed President Bush is from our fine state. The First Amendment also says Michael Moore is allowed shout "shame on you" to the president at the Academy Awards. Similarly, I enjoy a considerable amount of license in what The Daily Cougar chooses to publish for your reading pleasure (or displeasure).

The wonderful thing about our country -- unlike so many others, including the one weire trying to liberate -- is that after reading my article, you have the right to hate me. You have the right to disagree with me and send e-mails to my editors with notes calling for my censure or dismissal -- what a country.

But with this freedom comes responsibility, and that is something most Americans are eager to shy away from. Natalie Maines was just exercising her rights, and now she has to deal with the fact that most Americans donit want to listen to the Dixie Chicksi music anymore. That, my friends, is the price of free speech.

Similarly, the price I have to pay is that some of you donit like me and may not read my column anymore. Iim not heartbroken; if I wanted my column to be read and liked by everyone, I would have spouted the views of the hippie-liberals Iive been decrying for three years now. 

I am willing to take responsibility for everything Iive written over the years, and if I had a dime for every person on campus, or around the world, whom I ticked off, I wouldnit still be working for a measly $10 a column.

I invite you to casually glance at the top of this page, where you will see the word "opinion." This delightful word ties in nicely with one of the three Sis: subjectivity. People are offended because I attempted to satirically mock the Muslim religion. The article was intended to show my opinion that inherent hypocrisy exists within the religion, not to belittle it altogether. That the vast majority of Muslims on campus were offended is unfortunate, but their offense does raise interesting questions.

Suppose Iid written the same article about Jews? Of course I would have upset the Jewish community, as well as a great many of my pro-Israel conservative friends. But would Muslims be upset by it? Hence, everyone falls victim to subjectivity at times. That is where freedom of speech and freedom of thought collide, and that is why we still live in such a divisive world. People allow words to upset them. Our world would be a better place if there were no distinctions made based on religion or the color of skin or economic status. The blame for why we donit live in that better place, however, falls just as much on the perpetrators of some of these stereotypes as it does on "ignorant ethnocentrics."

If my column offended you, Iim sorry. But I hope this serves as an example of what a great country America is. Every side of an issue can be explored and ridiculed with impunity. Try doing that in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia or North Korea.

Caster, a senior petroleum engineering major, can be reached at patrioticcatmaster@yahoo.com.