There’s been a lot said these recent years about our 1^st Amendment Right especially from the left.  They want to convince us that they somehow have the corner on rational free speech. Meanwhile, they are the ones demanding a censorship of free speech coming from conservatives, Catholics, people who chose Life, challenge public education’s push to indoctrinate our children on all issues of sexual identity and open choice bathrooms.

It’s no wonder our country remains hopelessly divided.  Somehow, someway we must reevaluate how our 1^st Amendment serves for a more intellectual and civil society.  It begins with our personal perception of one another.  If we see our neighbor as less than, than we’ll treat and see them accordingly.

However, if we acknowledge them as God does, “Imago Dei,” made in God’s image, than everything changes.  Our 1^st Amendment right of expression, as my friend Jeff Kemp would describe alters dramatically from a “consumer to an investment” expression.  It’s no longer about being right for argument’s sake it’s about service and expanding each other’s understanding.  This is what idea sharing can produce.

But, there’s no sharing and only loss when we refuse to be civil and respectful.  And here’s where our political interaction has become unhinged.  Our candidates and political parties example the worst of civility and respect.  They promote this idea of consumerism just chewing up one another.

And what do we do?  We find ourselves talking and becoming like them.  And then we wonder why communication is cut off and only find comfort with the like-minded all siloed together limited by our own thinking and ideas.

Last week, I brought this up to point out the libelous rhetoric that is being tossed about from our political candidates.  What happened to mature debate about policy and vision for our country.  It seems that political rhetoric has always been there, but somehow it seems worse. But can’t you see how it is poisoning the electorate.

Imagine if there was a law that protected the candidate against libelous speech.  This concept of a public figure not being protected is consumeristic and destructive.  All people including politicians and public figures must be respected.

If there’s going to be a change in the public square of political ideas, this raw and uncivil so call free speech must be called out for what it is.  It is cheap, fake and destructive.  It gnaws at the very roots of our 1^st Amendment and Democratic Republic.  We can’t move forward without respect and honoring our US Constitution of ALL men being created equal…including our politicians.