I've been following the story of Cameron D'Ambrosio and frankly the whole thing reeks of total shit to me. His arrest sparked an outrage amongst activists for free speech. I believe whole heartedly in free speech. I am a firm believer that free speech is the single right that most symbolizes true American value. I will say that there is an enormous difference between properly using your right to free speech and acting like a total moron.
D'Ambrosio was arrested for posting some lyrics to a rap song that made reference to the Boston bombing. This nimrod basically came off like a terrorist in the making and as a result he was arrested. What bothers me about this is the debate that it sparked. A multitude of rights activists began to cry foul about this moron's rights being violated. Do activists not understand that speech referring to terrorism, or even implying it, is not really something to joke about? We live in a world were lines were blurred after 9/11. Yes we need to preserve the values that make the US great but caution doesn't hurt.
At first glance this kid looks like a fucking idiot and considering he probably lacks rhythm and talent I am sure he is a less than stellar rapper. I still think that he got what he deserved because terrorism is nothing to really joke about or use for artistic expression. While a few, not all, rappers glorify crime, mistreatment of women, and generally violent behavior, I have yet to hear one talk about committing a terrorist act.
I am not a fan of rap so I can't be cited as an authority and I am not saying that whatever violence, drugs, and abusive behavior mentioned in few rap tracks are any better than terrorism. I do think this moron should have measured his words carefully. There is a point to free speech and that point is often times to open up healthy debates on differing opinions. People use free speech to, for example, talk about religion and atheism or politics and how they more often than not impede progress rather than encourage it.
One of the articles that I read talks about this kid like he is some sort of Larry Flynt figure where free speech is concerned. This punk is not a free speech warrior, he is not a great rapper, this kid is a loudmouth nobody. The reason why the punk is getting attention is because he used a magic word and got more attention than he deserved as a result. Supposedly this jackass could have gotten up to twenty years in prison. The only thing I will say is that the punishment of sending him to a jail for twenty years, or close to it, was too much. Once his background was checked I would have fined him and had him clean toilets in public bathrooms for a year.
Let's assume for a second the kid was a terrorist and he actually was preparing to commit an act of violence, would free speech crusaders be so pissed off then? Let's not defend freedom without first being objective. Just like we want to know why we go to foreign lands to fight wars that don't necessarily have a reason for being, let's also try to understand why people are put in a position where they are singled out and looked at as threats. Terrorism no longer has color, a face, or even a religious preference and we are no longer living in a time where we know whom we can and cannot trust. It's all an unfortunate reality we are now living and have been a part of for over a decade.
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