Freedom of Stupidity
“In the United States of America, you have a right to be stupid.” — Sen. John Kerry, speaking against the recent attempt to pass a flag burning amendment.
Some of you may be confused where the Freedom of Stupidity clause is found in the US Constitution. It can be found in the Eleventeenth Amendment, which reads in part, “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom to be stupid nor prevent the free exercise thereof.”
(via Best of the Web)
June 29, 2006 at 10:19 pm
No, you have a privilege to be stupid, which John Kerry seems to be exercising. Or rather he’s among those who consider rights as something that come forth from everyday legislative decisions, not the Constitution or (ideally) the Creator of the Declaration.
June 29, 2006 at 10:26 pm
A stupid quote, perhaps, but overall I agree with Kerry in this instance. The flag burning amendment is about banning disrespect. Is that even possible? What else is worthy of banning disrespect to? Thanks to McCain-Feingold, we’re already limited in what can be said about candidates close to election time. Isn’t it amazing how, every time the political elite seeks to raise the level of discourse, it limits what you and I can say and do?
June 29, 2006 at 11:08 pm
I agree, Adam. I’m not a fan of the flag burning amendment, and it’s disappointing so many people on my “team” are for it. However, I think it’s really odd Kerry says there’s a “right to be stupid.” I think that’s absurd. Our society, thankfully, allows people to be stupid, but there is no right to be stupid.
June 30, 2006 at 7:06 am
Steve Barnett – Chief of the Semantics Police