Another Right Under Assault

            American freedoms are under attack. First, there was the attack on the Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.” This assault continues in the demands for more gun control. Then there was the attack on religion. Any action, such as placing a Nativity set on public property or saying a prayer at a high school graduation, came under attack. The very words “In God We Trust” on our currency is under attack. The freedom to use our time and talents – bake cakes, take pictures, provide flowers, etc. – is under attack.

            Then attacks started on the freedom to speak. Protests on college campuses prevent speakers from presenting any ideas that might cause panic attacks in their listeners. These people – often called snowflakes – need “safe places” to hide from ideas with which they do not agree.

            Now the right to assemble is under attack. This, too, happened on a college campus. A group of students – Democrat and Republican - was meeting in a room at the library on the University of California Santa Cruz campus when their meeting was interrupted by other students who did not approve of their ideas and principles.  When a person in authority met with the combined group and asked the intruding students to leave, one of the intruding students said to another student, “Your existence is a disruption.”

            Even though the first group of students invited the second group to meet with them to share their ideas, the second group was still upset. It is obvious that the second group does not want anyone with opposing ideas to assemble to share ideas or even to exist. How sad that there are so many closed-minded students on the university campuses in our nation!