| There is often much talk of the right to be | | | | far-away Universe, I will not insult this |
| treated equally, despite one's religion or | | | | man. Nor would I harass him in any way that |
| one's ethnicity or one's gender. Over the | | | | would cause discomfort or antagonism. I |
| past century, our society has shifted this | | | | would only offer my opinion, as he offered to |
| debate from such older-discussed traits as | | | | me. I would not rise in an uproar to upset |
| skin color and gender to things such as | | | | his creed. I would raise the lantern of |
| sexual orientation. Though there are still | | | | Reason, and soundly offer logic in opposition |
| Civil Rights battles going on today for equal | | | | to his creed. There can be nothing so |
| treatment of individuals regardless of | | | | irrational as resorting to unkindly |
| ethnicity or gender, Civil Rights today also | | | | sentiments to those who hold different |
| encompasses other traits of individuals which | | | | opinions, or to denying opportunity to those |
| before were discriminated against without so | | | | who with different ethics. It is not my |
| much as a thought.The reason why it is | | | | right to say that a man cannot believe one |
| irrational to discriminate against someone on | | | | thing or another. Everyone is their own |
| their race is because one's race does not | | | | individual, capable of believing as they wish |
| (normally) interfere with their line of work. | | | | for themselves. Anyone who states |
| Now, there are definitely circumstances | | | | differently, that claims we have no |
| where such preference is absolutely | | | | obligation of kindness or sincerity to those |
| justified. If a company was advertising and | | | | who believe otherwise, is an obstacle in the |
| their statistics department had told them | | | | race for knowledge, a blockade to the doorway |
| that few African humans buy their products, | | | | of opportunity, a stone on the path for |
| they may decide to advertise with more | | | | life.When I say that discrimination should |
| African models. Would it be rational, in any | | | | not occur to man because of his beliefs, I do |
| reasonable man's mind, that the company | | | | not mean to govern the lives of those who may |
| should be forced to hire as many Caucasion | | | | sometimes judge on beliefs, and I certainly |
| models as African models? I would doubt that | | | | do not mean to fill their lives with guilt. |
| with great sincerity. If, however, an | | | | There is a number of great individuals who |
| insurance company was looking for a | | | | refuse to have a relationship with someone |
| secretary, then the race of the secretary | | | | outside of their race. And this will not be |
| would be completely irrelevant. Being a good | | | | out of scorn, or of hate, or of some other |
| secretary is not about one's appearance, but | | | | unbecoming trait. It is because of |
| wholly about one's intellectual capabilities, | | | | uncomfortability, or even an inability to |
| perhaps typing skills and diligance. It is | | | | relate to someone. A man cannot be blamed |
| not a question of looks, but a question of | | | | for being uncomfortable around other races |
| intellect. To say that the modeling company | | | | any more than a man can be blamed for the |
| was discriminating by choosing an African | | | | race he is. If an individual with this |
| human over a Caucasion human is equally true | | | | uncomfortable sentiment concerning members of |
| as saying the insurance company was | | | | other races were to see a member of another |
| discriminating by choosing a smart secretary | | | | race afflicted with some ailment, and if this |
| over an unintelligent secretary.The battles | | | | "race-phobic" person were to offer aid -- not |
| for Civil Rights of the people, regardless of | | | | out of any sort of fear or reward, but out of |
| race, gender, or sexual orientation, will | | | | the sake of pure compassion -- can we |
| continue on for perhaps an inestimable number | | | | honestly call this person full of hate or |
| of years. The advocates of Civil Rights will | | | | anger? To make such a claim would be to |
| exist as long as there is Reason and active | | | | advance ignorance and to put a scar on the |
| compassion, and the opponents of Civil Rights | | | | face of humaneness. Though individuals who |
| will exist as long as there is some ignorance | | | | feel out of place when among other races may |
| and selective cruelty. A White Supremacist | | | | stereotypically have one image of being |
| may say that he will deny himself friendship | | | | pristine, this stereotype -- like every other |
| or comradery with every non-White, based on | | | | -- does not hold true for all of these |
| that non-Whites are incapable of making good | | | | individuals. In this group of individuals, |
| friends. As every good person of non-White | | | | there are good, warm-hearted, kind people, |
| ethnicity passes by this Supremacist, as | | | | and to make an opposition against them is to |
| every human being possesing the traits of | | | | become an enemy of every Humanitarian who |
| kindness and reverance, beauty and vitality, | | | | contends that duty and justice are our first |
| intelligence and understanding, as every good | | | | priorities.Just as it is an atrosity to try |
| person with any skin color passes by this | | | | to make someone act the same to other races |
| supremacist, the man will find himself a | | | | when they themselves are uncomfortable with |
| little more alone, a little less | | | | other races, it is also cruel and inhumane to |
| knowledgeable, and gravely disadvantaged. So | | | | insult someone for not being comfortable with |
| the battle of equal rights will continue, as | | | | others of different beliefs. A person may |
| long as there is a group being persecuted, | | | | find it displeasurable to be among other |
| and as long as there are heroes of our | | | | races. So a person may find it |
| species to defend them. Every man or woman | | | | displeasurable to be among believers of |
| denied an opportunity because of traits which | | | | Nazism, Fascism, Democracy, the electoral |
| he cannot control is a badge of dishonor upon | | | | process, Socialism, Communism, Pacifism, or |
| the ever-weakening chest of humanity, a | | | | any other creed which has been wrought from |
| boulder upon the back of truth, and a slash | | | | humanity. If a man honestly tells me, "I |
| across the face of beauty. As long as there | | | | will not be among those people, because the |
| is discrimination in the heart of any man, | | | | things they say and the way they act bothers |
| there will always be fallacies in his mind | | | | me," then I can hold no animosity whatsoever |
| and intolerance in his actions.There is one | | | | to him, but if a man tells me, "I will not be |
| battlefield that has almost been entirely | | | | among those people, because they are innately |
| unsuccesful in the case for Civil Rights. | | | | cruel, beyond recompense, passed the point of |
| This is the battlefield for the Right to | | | | worth," then I will only be deep within |
| Opinion. Think not that I am speaking of the | | | | disappointment. There are few creeds that a |
| right to belong to any political party, or | | | | man can believe that will put him beyond the |
| believe in any religion. These rights, | | | | point of opportunity. Though a man has a |
| however, are still under siege by those | | | | right to association, to be with those he |
| without a rational framework of thought -- | | | | likes and avoids those he dislikes, I can |
| this right to political theory is still a | | | | only hope that the star of fairness will |
| source of hate for those who do not weild | | | | shine, and all of our hearts will be open to |
| Reason or humaneness, and it will probably | | | | others. But beyond this matter of |
| always exist, as long as there is a ruling | | | | association, it is important that a man can |
| class. The Right to Opinion that I speak of | | | | receive a job, a place to live, a place to |
| is the right to believe all that you wish, | | | | buy food and other necessities, without |
| without being discriminated against. Though | | | | harassment for his creeds. Let a man believe |
| the right to belong to any political party or | | | | as he wish, and you can only hope that Reason |
| any religion may be counted as part of this, | | | | will govern his judgment. Harassment will |
| the Right to Opinion still does not prevail. | | | | accomplish nothing, but will work away at the |
| What man can openly, publicly, and brazenly | | | | man's tolerance for others. I cannot govern |
| say that he finds Nazism to be a sound | | | | society or its members, but as far as the |
| ideology, and then easily find employment? | | | | economy goes, no man should be behind bars |
| Would a black shop owner hire this man, even | | | | because of their beliefs. This is a |
| if the Nazi was willing? If a man were to | | | | testament to freedom as much as it is a |
| announce his membership in North-American | | | | confession of humaneness and a declaration |
| Man-Boy Love Assocation (NAMBLA, working for | | | | for beauty in tolerance.Though observation |
| the rights of adults for consensual sexual | | | | will allow us to easily see that our society |
| relationships with minors), would announcing | | | | is not always accepting of another man's |
| one's membership of such an organization | | | | Right to Opinion, a person cannot go far in |
| boost their chances of employment or | | | | their intellectual journey without hearing |
| relationships? It is unpopular today to even | | | | someone say, "That person has their to their |
| assert that Nazism is right, or that | | | | own opinion!" Though this is certainly true, |
| Pedophilia may be right. But if someone were | | | | it is unlikely for someone to say this about |
| to cling to such ideologies, based on the | | | | a man who believes Pedophilia is justifiable. |
| juries of their mind, they will be harmed in | | | | It would be of most difficulty to hear a man |
| all ways: employment will be difficult, | | | | say "You have your right to your opinion" |
| friendships and family may be curtailed, and | | | | when another attempts to justify Pedophilia. |
| other social or economic conditions may | | | | It would be gravely difficult to hear the |
| worsen, simply by holding an opinion.If an | | | | same when a person makes a heretical remark, |
| employer refused to hire someone on the | | | | mocking a god or the unseen spirits of the |
| grounds that they held a certain opinion, how | | | | worlds' religions. I only feel the need to |
| could they respond? There are probably a | | | | comment on this, that though everyone has |
| thousand laws inhibiting employers from such | | | | their right to their opinion, we always have |
| actions, or completely disallowing public | | | | the right to comment on their opinion, or |
| institutions from denying citizens their | | | | hold an opinion of an opinion. The point of |
| right to equal treatment. But there are | | | | existence for intellectual debate is not to |
| amazingly few laws upholding a man's right to | | | | find some conclusion, or to meet some |
| belief in whatever he wishes. If a man | | | | compromise about some philosophical triffle. |
| professed belief in Nazism, the business | | | | It is, utmostly, so that we can understand |
| across this nation may very well refuse to | | | | each other and -- with the serene hope that |
| employ him or to serve him. And, if he were | | | | only sleeping children can dream of -- that |
| to seek aid in his right to belief, I doubt | | | | we will clear the way a little. That will we |
| there would be a single politician who would | | | | remove any fog that pollutes our thinking, |
| stand beside him. The ruling class are not | | | | destroy stereotypes, burn all aspirations |
| concerned with justice so much as they are | | | | that are made from imitation, and bury every |
| concerned with looking good in the eyes of | | | | vice. Intellectual debate is the foundation |
| the public. Being associated with a Nazi is | | | | for anything that was individually great and |
| not something that would help reelection of | | | | accomplishing.Before closing, there are some |
| any public official. But do not only think | | | | facts which ought to be put into light for |
| of Nazism as a creed a man may hold that | | | | those who still disagree with me. Before |
| would harm him. If a man were to shout out | | | | anyone lights a torch in effort to burn out |
| in public, "It is okay to have sex with | | | | their enemy for some ideology, first think of |
| children!" he would be outcast. Employment | | | | Giordano Bruno. Remember the monk who |
| would be impossible, people would sneer, and | | | | travelled throughout Europe, dodging the |
| the whole of society would be his enemy, as | | | | hounds of the Vatican as much as he could, |
| much as they are enemies to the Right to | | | | only so that he could write out what he |
| Opinion.Do humans have the Right to Opinion | | | | believed, only so he could try to prove that |
| beyond political parties and religious | | | | compassion would conquer the world. Remember |
| belief? It is undeniable. So much as a man | | | | the physician Servetes, burned at the stake |
| cannot choose his skin color, in many ways a | | | | by a tyrant. Remember his exodus from the |
| man cannot choose his belief. If we see a | | | | church, breathless for life as he searched |
| crime being committed, we cannot help but | | | | the land for some refuge, and denied any |
| believe that it took place. If we are | | | | sentiment of compassion, as John Calvin |
| presented with the evidence of a crime, we | | | | mercilessly ordered death. Think of Thomas |
| cannot help but believe that there is a high | | | | Paine. He wrote a book, and they unleashed |
| probability that it took place. But these | | | | the hounds of iniquity with the orders of |
| are the thoughts of a rational man. If, | | | | destruction and cruelty. He spoke his mind, |
| being presented with the evidence, a man | | | | and they gave him the death sentence. He was |
| comes to believe that Caucasions are superior | | | | put behind the bars of a French prison as |
| to Africans, or Africans are superior to | | | | much as he was put behind the bars of |
| Jews, or Jews are superior to Hispanics, -- | | | | intellectual prison. Think of Francisco |
| if a human being, with his own mind and his | | | | Ferrer. He taught the children of Spain a |
| own will, gathers evidence for himself and | | | | secular education, gave them the gift of |
| discovers reasons to believe as he does -- if | | | | literacy and thought, instilled in them an |
| a man does this, then what do we accomplish | | | | insatiasable appetite for knowledge and |
| by punishing him for speaking? Every man | | | | truth. His only gift to humanity was |
| certainly must have the right to judge facts | | | | teaching and kindness, and his only sacrifice |
| for himself, regardless of what any court in | | | | was his own life. Remember all who have |
| the world says. It is not about supressing | | | | given their lives only because they believed |
| Nazism, Fascism, Sexism, Racism, Capitalism, | | | | as they did, only because they felt that they |
| Speciesism, and every other ill-doctrine by | | | | were compelled towards truth, and remember |
| any means possible. It is not about | | | | the animosity we gave their offenders -- |
| silencing those who oppose me ideologically. | | | | remember the unbridled scorn and contempt |
| It is about holding up the individual as the | | | | held for those who executed heretics and |
| supreme leader of society; it is about | | | | heathens. Before anyone raises their fist in |
| understanding the right of every person to | | | | indignance towards someone with another |
| believe as they wish, allowing the pathway to | | | | creed, remember our heroes, how they were |
| the temple of any theory, opening the door to | | | | killed for their beliefs, and why we will |
| a kingdom of ideas and concepts, releasing | | | | always cherish their memories in our hearts. |
| the chains around the legs of every slave and | | | | Life,Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been |
| holding the torch up at night so they know | | | | writing essays and poetry on social issues |
| where to go to get to freedom. The Right to | | | | which have caught his attention for several |
| Opinion is the same as the right to belief, | | | | years. His website provides a complete list |
| and upholding it is the same as the | | | | of all of these writings. His life experience |
| responsibility to decency, and the duty to | | | | includes homelessness, squating in New |
| civilization.If a man comes to me and tells | | | | Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, |
| me that all other races are inferior, that | | | | getting expelled from college for "subversive |
| Free Enterprise benefits the worker, that | | | | activities," and a myriad of other |
| animals have no right other than to be eaten, | | | | revolutionary actions. |
| or that real religion consists of a god in a | | | | |