When my daughter Fiona was a baby, I taught her "baby sign" -- simple hand gestures for words like please, more, juice, and (her favorite) "doggie". At 13 months, even before "Mama" and "Daddy," Fiona was talking up a storm. But having lived in countries where I couldn't speak the language, I am sympathetic to small children -- they have wants and needs and feelings and (even) opinions, and yet they can't express themselves. Language is such a gift to us -- can you imagine what life would be like without it?
Language, speech, is seen as so important by our culture that it is protected by the First Amendment. You should be able to voice your opinion regarding government, economics, business, religion...you can use your words to advocate for what you think is important in life. I support that fully. And yet demonstrations like the one that took place in West Allis on Saturday (http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/129103613.html) give me pause. When what you're saying is designed to harm another group of people, members not by choice or preference or free will but simply by the color of their skin, should you be allowed to say it? These people claim to have cause, to be advocating for their own safety...so does that justify their language and approach?
What do you think?
