As a citizen of this country and a great believer in its values and purpose I love the first amendment. I love that it protects speech in any form, and I love that we hold this right more dear than any other. I applaud those who protect this right, whether here at home or abroad, and I applaud those that exercise it. What I cannot stomach, what bothers me to no end, and what makes me question the actions of my ideological opponents is when the "right to free speech" becomes the "right to free obnoxiousness." It occurred to me after watching my first college protest at Brandeis that not only was a loud, angry, and sometimes abusive use of free speech impolite, it was almost always ineffective.

I have been for several months now a republican Capitol Hill staffer (which believe me was no easy picnic at Brandeis.) At the inauguration I had what were probably the best seats one could have without being related to or best friends with a Congressman. I could see W pretty clearly and certainly hear him well. As CJ Rehnquist began administering the oath, 3 people stood up from about 10 feet from me and started screaming "NOT OUR WAR, YOU ARE A CRIMINAL, BRING THE TROOPS HOME" so loud that we missed the entire oath. Now I had been sitting out for 4 hours in the cold at that point pretty much just to witness that, and I missed it. When does it become right that free speech interrupts my freedom to enjoy a historic moment. Why must it be that way, why must some people ruin a good moment for everyone else?

I do not pretend to think that we should legislate against some kinds of free speech. This would be wrong. But in the fight for a political voice we must begin to show some restraint. Partisan politics in Congress is not nearly as bad today as partisan politics on the street. The first step that would go a long way to repairing the rift in this country is to start practicing respect. You want to protest the war? Please, I applaud your effort. But don't take away me right to show support to a person I look up to. Don't take away my right to watch what I believe to be a piece of history.

Ari Stein '04