Freedom Of Speech? Or Gone Too Far?

After reading a recent letter to the editor of the New York Times, I can't help but think if there is a barrier in regards to "going to far" anymore. Of what is and is not appropriate to say and not to say, do people still have the right to say what they are going to say? Is the freedom of speech that we as American's are granted, how far is going too far?

Joshua S. Eisenberg wrote to the editor of the New York Times about the recent burning of the Koran in a Florida church after an article was published in the newspaper. Eisenberg wrote in the perspective of our American soldiers over seas fighting. How would they feel when they come back to this country and see that our own people are disrespecting other religions? "Why must they now also contend with the consequences of the shortsighted, insolent and childish behavior of people sitting comfortably and safely back home?" he says.

Eisenberg also said that he would love to see people such as the pastor in that particular Florida church go out and fight over seas for our country.

I get what Eisenberg is saying and I have to agree with him. I do not think that he went too far with what he said. It was simply his opinion. It was a very loud opinion, and very gutsy and risky to put out there, but I would have done the same.

Now looking at the other side and point of view from the Florida pastor who burned the Koran, was he wrong with showing his beliefs? Is burning the Koran any different from what Joshua S. Eisenberg did by sending in his opinion to the New York Times? Both the pastor of the Florida church and Eisenberg were both expressing the first amendment of this country, which is the freedom to express religion and the freedom of speech.

I, on the other hand, do not agree with what the Florida pastor did. Yes, in this wonderful country we live in, you have the freedom to practice whichever religion you'd like, and you have the freedom of speech. But did this Florida pastor think about the other religion? That they, just like everyone else, have their own beliefs? What the pastor did was incredibly disrespectful in my opinion. After all, it was because of our first amendment that people came to this country.