[IMC-Editorial] Smashing Windows for Peace

[ARI Media]

Dear Editor:

Anti-war protesters have been praised, even by those who disagree with
their message, as heroes of free speech. But these protests are not a
benevolent manifestation of the freedom of speech. They are an attempt
by a small gang of protesters to "express themselves" by forcibly
imposing themselves on others.

Freedom of speech is the right to communicate ideas, information, and
values. Freedom of speech protects debate and dispute. It does not
protect coercion, nor does one person's freedom of speech authorize him
to force others to listen. No one has the right to violate rights.

Yet that is precisely what the anti-war demonstrators have done. Seeking
to impose their anti-war tirades on a public that does not agree with
them, protesters blocked rush hour traffic in cities across the nation.
They blockaded office buildings, smashed the windows of police cars, and
squirted red paint on Republican Party headquarters. In San Francisco
alone, the cost of the first day's protests was estimated at half a
million dollars.

They spread their message, not through persuasion, but by coercion: be
it the "non-violent" coercion of a sit-in, or the outright violence of
smashed windows.

The banner of free speech is reserved for those who respect the rights
of others and offer arguments addressed to our minds. It does not
protect the mindless rabble who clog the streets of our cities
proclaiming a fraudulent "right" to smash windows for the cause of
peace.

Sincerely,

Robert Garmong, Ph.D.
Ayn Rand Institute
Irvine CA
rgarmong at austincc.edu
512-797-0484

Please let me know if you decide to publish my letter. Thank you.