I'm a Democrat, and for that, I whole-heartedly apologize. I was young, na+
or give me always low prices. Always I say!
But what good is patriotism without knowing what you're fighting for? Many people expound upon how great American freedom is, but the only right they exercise is the freedom to be stupid. Ignorance of constitutional freedoms leads to a me-first view of liberty, where individuals forget that they're not the only person with rights.
You hear it all the time: It's my right to say what I want, so shut up; it's my right to smoke in this restaurant, so quit coughing; it's my right to own this fully automatic AK-47 assault rifle, so stop threatening to charge me with assault with a deadly weapon.
Many Americans, as the McCormick survey reveals, need to realize that the individual rights they like to practice so often are actually constitutional rights. These rights are guaranteed to all Americans (or will eventually be guaranteed to all Americans ... maybe) and, as such, they must be balanced accordingly. A better understanding of constitutional rights can lead to mutual respect for the liberties of others.
If that isn't enough incentive to better know the Constitution, then you should remember something: Chuck Norris knows all five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.
-Joe Merical is a senior journalism major. Send him an email at jm184701@ohio.edu
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Joe Merical
