Freedom of speech is one of the most precious and important rights granted to an individual citizen by the Bill of Rights under the U.S. Constitution. The right to speak freely was considered so fundamental that it was incorporated into the First Amendment. Even while framing the Constitution, the Founding Fathers realized that a totalitarian regime begins to assert complete control over the people when individual citizens are no longer allowed to criticize their government. So they took immediate steps to ensure that individual right was preserved. Although one of the most important symbols representing the United States is the American flag, for which brave men and women have sacrificed their lives to serve and protect, in the case commonly known as Texas v. Johnson, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag is a protected form of free speech allowed to government protestors. However, in today's madness of political correctness, merely flying a Confederate flag at her personal residence might become the reason a twenty-year veteran police officer can be terminated from her job with no warning. Of course, not all speech is protected by the First Amendment. Exceptions do exist. You can't libel or slander another citizen with impunity. You can't incite panic or mob violence. And unless your last name is Clinton, you can't commit perjury or disseminate classified information into public domain without facing serious criminal charges. And as everyone probably knows by now, you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre and cause a general panic, … [Read more...]