JASmith Wrote:More likely, the 2A will prevent one that might otherwise be needed to protect our right to property, freedom of speech, religion and the other liberties enshrined in the whole Bill of Rights.Threats? Exhorting a coup and civil war? You're really indulging in gross over-exaggeration.
Even so, we have been seeing significant pressure on the freedom of speech, religion, and association build over the past decade.
For example, our Freedom of Speech is threatened more by the current rhetoric against elected officials than the “Politically Correct Speech” movement. Over reaction to the vile speech can threaten a fundamental liberty.
Even so, the comments and acts by well known figures (e. g. a mask depicting the bloody severed head of a sitting President - tantamount to a call for assassination) is so vile that the Justice Department and Secret Service must be more active. These less than thinly veiled threats and encouragement thrown around by well known media and loud mouthed politicians are in themselves exhorting a coup at best and civil war at the worst.
And the "severed head" was NOT a call for assassination, as demonstrated by the fact that the person who did it was not arrested.
JASmith Wrote:It must be done with due caution, however, because the act of forcing polite speech in itself can be viewed as an infringement on a right.No kidding. I'm not sure how polite speech could be enforced anyway, when the POTUS himself is one of those loud-mouthed politicians sowing discourtesy and incivility, by ridiculing or insulting someone pretty much every day since taking office.
You want civility in public discourse? Better start at the top.