Americanism

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Americanism Feb 2020

Greetings brothers and sisters, 

Welcome to this month’s rendition of Americanism. As I spoke to last month we had some Americanism essays from some local students in our district that needed to be judged. The topic of choice for these essays was Freedom of Speech. Specifically, what freedom of speech means to you. So for this month’s theme, I am going to talk about freedom of speech. 

What does freedom of speech mean? Wikipedia “is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction.” That is a very powerful principle, which states individuals or groups can do this. It is a right that is guaranteed to us by the 1st Amendment to the US constitution. Our forefathers had the foresight to protect this right over 200 years ago. In fact many nations around the globe recognize freedom of speech as a universal human right. 

As many of you know this right comes with consequences in this digital age. Social media is permeated with statements from individuals and groups from all walks of life. These statements can be offensive and can lead to serious consequences through interpretation alone. 

I am reminded nearly every day that I represent one of the greatest brotherhoods on Earth and I want to ensure by my actions this organization continues to flourish and grow. I want to continue writing these articles providing you with points to ponder as well as challenge. 

As always remember those that protect us each and every day. May the good Lord bless you and keep you till we meet again. 

Thomas Carns

PER, Americanism Chair

DVP, SEC