It seems when someone wants to be rude, they cite the first amendment, as if it gives them an excuse to stomp on any objections. Because it’s “just their opinion.”
The amendment reads as such: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

When broken down, there is nothing that says “harass people with whatever you want, without any repercussions.”

When the journalists at Charlie Hebdo were shot, thousands rallied behind this ‘satirical’ magazine, saying the attack was on free speech.
When Michael Brown was shot, and when Treyvon Martin was shot, everyone blamed the victim for bringing it upon themselves, and it was downright wrong.
The protests trying to spread correct information then were swept under the rug, deemed unnecessary because people thought they were hearing the full story. People both stating opinions and facts were in a war with police officers who were there to serve and protect. Free speech though, right?

Yet over in France, everyone sided with the one harassing people who, admittedly, face a lot of discrimination already, France does not allow hijabs or similar cultural headdresses to be worn in public, making it punishable by law for observing their own culture.

Now, I’m not saying the taking of a life is ever justified, but the massive reaction siding with a hate-fueled magazine was completely unjustified.

When a mass shooting of schoolchildren or innocent bystanders is perpetrated by a young white man, he is ‘troubled’ or ‘mentally ill.’ But if the race and religion were anything else, the killer would be torn apart by the media, and an immediate backlash would occur against the religion/race of that individual, exhibited by the Charlie Hebdo situation.

I may sound like a broken record, but honestly so does the news, nothing is getting fixed. It’s tiring to hear over and over.

And it is the Charlie Hebdo mentality that is to blame. This shock humor made to offend, past its annoying, 7th grade-esque face value, is really about maintaining a sort of system, a status quo left unrealized. And I think we can do so much better than that.

Things can only get better, hopefully, little by little. There will always be people wary of injustices, and we should know we can do better, and be better. We deserve better. Until America achieves that ominous “liberty and justice for all.” Why only focus on the First Amendment?

But hey, this is just my opinion.