These three things are the foundation of justice in America. All of which are enshrined in our Bill of Rights:
- Free Speech
- Due process
- Punishment fitting the crime
To preserve any sense of liberty our society needs to learn how to handle cancel culture. It is the 21st Century equivalent of the witch hunts that followed the invention of the printing press.We all make mistakes. Some of us change our minds over time. Forgiveness should be available to just about anyone.
I don't believe anyone has suggested a civil or criminal case, but it's a good perspective to take if we want to avoid crashing out on a social media post.
Free Speech
Allows us to expose injustice, challenge authority, and advocate for change. Its limits are exceeded by obscenity, defamation, and incitement of imminent violence. It's not enough that it is unpopular, shocking, or offensive to some.
There is a 0% chance this qualifies as defamation, incitement, a true threat, or obscenity.
Due Process
You can't have justice without ensuring the defendant is guilty. Trust me doesn't cut it when you are depriving someone of their rights.
Our government grants us the right to help with your defense, the right to present a defense, with help if needed.
We also have the right to an impartial jury of our peers. Plus, all jurors must be unanimous to convict.
We can't give in to mob rule in either our private or public institutions. Especially since a majority of that mob are fake accounts run by foreign bot farms. This year was a milestone in the "dead internet" history, with over 50% of web traffic coming from bots. They are especially active on political threads.
On punishment fitting the crime
Frankly, that type of statement isn't new or even all that rare. We are struggling with political speech in America. It's a problem that's been building for years. Just imagine what I would say about our president's speech and other behavior.
That post alone doesn't justify firing someone. It is a good learning moment for all of us.
As a Democrat, I know how I would feel if my son's teacher made a similar statement about Obama, or had a tailgate-sized sticker of Biden bound and gagged on the back of his truck. I think administrative leave makes sense. I think it's fair to review the scenario, including how he teaches in class.
I've had three kids go through Kaukauna High School. This teacher is one of the few I've heard them mention. My youngest was told he has to take one of this teacher's classes or he would be missing out on one of the best in the school.
I asked my kids if he had any bias in his teaching and they both said no. If his work were reviewed, he'd meet any standard a school should have for a teacher.
A Good Response For Us All
I appreciated two things about Trump's response to Saturday night.
First, he didn't get partisan. We have to drop our partisanship when we're looking at cases like this. That's hard when we're told our politics should be our identity. It shouldn't. I identify as human. I identify as American. Both of those take priority over a political party.
Second, he talked about having the courage to do our duties in the face of a threat. For most of us, that's simple: don't overreact to the outrage of the moment. Our irrational response to these events is the real threat to our society.
For those who act as judges, take the time to get it right before you take away someone's rights. We all deserve that.
T