“I still believe in the sanctity of the First Amendment. True progress and healing can be achieved only through open, honest dialogue. But what happened in Charlottesville doesn’t, and perhaps never did, qualify as protected speech.”
This statement was made by Brendan Novak, 20, Opinion Editor of The Cavalier Daily in a recent article for The New York Times, “What U.Va.Students Saw in Charlottesville.”
The belief in the supremacy of any race over another is a detriment to the human society. All lives matter and should be honored as such. The freedom of speech is not a license to have the freedom to persecute and physically harm because of who, whether that be a woman, a person of color, a person of a different religion, or because of a person’s sexual orientation.
We are all citizens of the United States of America.
We should have the right to share our voices in a peaceful manner.
I, too, believe in the sanctity of the First Amendment, but I believe what we see happening in Charlottesville is a matter of abuse, a matter of domestic terrorism.
America needs to take a stand against all forms of domestic terrorism. Using cars as a means to communicate fear, as a weapon to kill protesters is an act of terrorism. It is a hate crime. In Charlottesville, the use of ISIS inspired tactics cannot be tolerated. Freedom of speech does not qualify anyone to kill, terrorize or maim any American citizen. Any group or organization responsible for these acts should be prosecuted to the maximum.
“Violence and hate and blood, that’s what I saw. What happened in Charlottesville this weekend wasn’t a rally. It was a riot.”
This statement was made by Isabella Ciambotti, 19, Creative Writing student in a recent article for The New York Times, “What U.Va. Students Saw in Charlottesville.”
“This is a call for a conversation, a calling for a high invocation
not just blues song’s full of apologies
… a calling for a lifting of voices into new echoes
love songs of intimacy
love notes flowing like sweet river
winding themselves into sweet rivers
to finally rest in peaceful refrain.
I don’t want to be loved the wrong way again and feel like original sin… be the richest man in babylon
I just want to fall into you.”
This statement was made by Terrell Washington Anansi, 67, student of peace, sustainable artist, poet, and writer from his book of poems entitled, “Echoes and Ashes.”
I, as that 67-year-old, black rasta man, artist of change, poet, writer, painter, and visionary performance artist, I am writing this with a heavy heart.
I still believe in my country and its vision of equality. Yet, the division of today is so evident and very transparent. We, as a country, a people, are at a crossroad. We’re at a pivotal position to make new choices to achieve peace and harmony. Together we stand and divided we fall. I am hoping this is a beginning and not the appearance of an end to who we are or could be.
I believe this is our chance to do something different and sequential within our history as a country. This is a time of developmental growth for human rights and democracy in our country. We are at a stage of choosing between night and day, hope or dread, or division and death. The choice is ours to take. I, deep down within me and within ourselves as a country, I know we can see the forest and the trees and make it right.
Let us be a new echo of change and may we turn the page to read more of the book.
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