I don't wear my watch in the shower. I can, it is waterproof, but there is something about the idea of testing the limits of what my watch can do that deters me.
Three incidents of late have something in common with my watch policy. First, after the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, gun ownership has risen significantly across America. Second, an American citizen produced a blasphemous video the wreaked havoc across the Middle East. Third, a judge ruled just yesterday that anti-Muslim posters must be allowed in the Washington metro and New York subway systems.
All three incidents involve the exercise of protected rights; specifically the right to bear arms and the right to free speech. These rights are fundamental to the identity of our nation and their protection is of the uptmost importance.
At the same time, I look around and wonder if it might be time for a little self-policing. Sure, we can do these things, but does it mean we should? Can't we acknowledge our rights without forcing them upon others? Gun ownership may or may not make us safer, with emphasis on the latter. The free speech as of late has ranged from blatantly offensive to a signifcant security threat.
While we are lucky to live in the land of the free, home of the brave, it wouldn't hurt to get away to the timeshare of the wise every now and again.
