Your Right to Free Speech, Like My Right to Self-Defense, Isn’t Open to Debate: New at Reason

Rallying to call for restrictive laws is a whole lot easier than getting people to submit to them.

J.D. Tuccille writes:

Today, some students, teachers, and other Americans who share their views are walking out of classes across the country to call for limits on the right of free assembly. Wait, strike that. They’re walking out of classes to call for further restrictions on protections against unreasonable search and seizure. Nope, that’s not it either. Wait, I have it: they’re protesting for greater regulation of self-defense rights. Yup, there we go.

Of course, they’re exercising their free speech rights in the process, and that’s as it should be. After all, the exercise of individual rights shouldn’t be subject to popular opinion or debate.

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