Freedom of speech is an amazing thing, isn't it?
The First Amendment right afforded to U.S Citizens in 1791 is a cornerstone of American life: say what you want when you want. It seems second nature — outright human, in fact. Yet, somehow, free speech has become a privilege we’ve taken for granted.
On one hand, we’re quick to raise our tongue, but on the other, not do anything about it. Either we’re unaware of this special immunity of ours or have no desire to use its advantages constructively.
Since Trump assumed office in 2016, he’s brought with him a culture of hate and an outspokenness that highlights our right of free speech.
Last year, Kathy Griffin was blacklisted by Hollywood for a photo prank wherein she held a severed head of Donald Trump. Similarly, Snoop Dogg depicted the President’s assassination in a music video called “Lavender”. Rappers YG and Nipsey Hussle made the hit song called “FDT” (F*** Donald Trump), Donald’s star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame keeps getting vandalized — and all these instances barely scratch the surface of the hate Trump has garnered, and we owe it all to our First Amendment.
It’s trendy to talk down on the President; and although he arguably deserves every spew of hate that comes his way, it's scary to think that hate speech is the only method of change we know.
Yes, as Americans we can say what we want to whoever’s in power, but Trump is only part of a bigger problem. Saying you hate the President and selling knock-off MAGA hats doesn't address the issues that anger us, and it’s shortsighted to the source of the problem: the government body as a whole.
It was Congress who approved his cabinet of the inexperienced Betsy Devos and Ben Carson, and Congress who approved deep cuts in corporate and personal tax rates, and Congress who confirmed a wave of conservative judges for the lower courts, enacting an ideological shift in the highest court of the land. It’s the House and the Senate who can impeach federal public officials, including Cabinet members. It’s in your primaries that you get a governor who will pressure the police department, and in your local elections where you’ll get a panel that will approval larger school budgets.
Griping about our Country's issues is not effective without voting, and only voting in the Presidential elections is not effective without participating in the local and midterm elections, as well.
As provocative as it is, Trump slander without backing it up is in vain, and we back up our slander through action.
On the heels of the highest voting-age turnout in four decades back in 2008 — which, subsequently, made Barack Obama our first African-American President — there was a drop in the 2010 midterm elections that put the House back in Republican hands. Then, for Obama’s re-election in 2012, the turnout rebounded to 53.7 percent. After securing Obama his second term, there was a drop again in the 2014 midterms, this time the lowest since World War II, giving Republicans control of both the House and Senate.
We’re talking 34 of the 50 U.S. state governors, all 435 seats in the US house of representatives and one-third of the Senate. But some think they’re doing their part by calling Trump an orange (insert creative jab here).
Just 56 percent of the U.S. voting-age population cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election, according to a Pew Research Center survey. That’s less than voter turnout in 2008 and puts the U.S behind the majority of developed countries.
According to the Pew Research Fact Tank, the U.S. placed 26 out of 32 of the countries that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — a committee of highly developed, democratic states — behind the likes of Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.
Even with modern examples of countries’ attempts to stifle a right as inalienable as such, there still seems to be an air of ignorance that surrounds free speech.
Just last year a 25-year-old American was charged by police in Zimbabwe because she insulted Zimbabwe’s president.
Also last year, a Turkish court found model and former Miss Turkey, Merve Buyuksarac, 27, guilty of insulting a public official. In all reality, all she had done was post a satirical poem about the Turkish president on Instagram. Her punishment: a 14-month jail sentence.
The general elections are held in November every four years, near the midpoint of a president's four-year term of office.
All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be decided in this autumn's contests, and the ones coming up, in particular, have the potential to change U.S political landscape.
The Republicans in that chamber currently hold 238 seats. The Democrats have 192.
There are 35 seats up for grabs in the Senate. The Democrats need to defend 26 seats they already hold and win two extras in order to take control of the chamber.
Trump sees the importance of these midterms, as well. Already, we’ve seen Trump endorse Rep. Rod Blum of Iowa and Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois. An ABC News analysis found Trump has tweeted support for 28 candidates in House, Senate and gubernatorial primaries and special elections so far this year. Of those, only two have lost their races. Not to mention that Trump, his cabinet and senior staff have done 35 events with or affecting House districts in August, already. Over 35 events in August, already!
There are enough seats in Congress to take control of both the House and Senate, but if we aren’t as motivated as Trump to get out and make a difference, what's the use?
Yes, there’s the separation of families at the border, raising of tariffs on trade goods, a travel ban and too many other grievances that are at Trump’s hand, but there’s also the approval of Supreme Court Justices, issue subpoenas or cuts to Medicare, Social Security, food stamps or welfare.
Either way, if you don’t show up on November 6, don't expect slander, jokes and griping to change what you see wrong in American government.
Voting validates the slandering of Trump, but hopefully, if we all show up, there won’t be any complaints at all.
