When I was a young boy growing up after World War II, I was intrigued by four 24” X 32” posters hanging in the Ocracoke United Methodist Church’s Sunday School hallway which my uncle, Marvin Howard, pointed out to me. They were reproductions of Norman Rockwell’s 1943 oil paintings depicting Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom From Want, and Freedom From Fear. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in his 1941 State of the Union Address, identified these “four essential human freedoms” which he called the “very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create….”
Freedom of speech and freedom of worship are, of course, enshrined in the first amendment of the US Constitution, along with freedom of the press, freedom to assemble peaceably, and freedom to petition the government for redress of grievances.
The conservative columnist, David Brooks, recently wrote about “a multifront assault to make the earth a playground for ruthless men….” “What is happening now is not normal politics,” he wrote. “We’re seeing an assault on the fundamental institutions of our civic life….”
We at Village Craftsmen have always welcomed everyone into our gallery, regardless of race, color, religion, politics, sex, or national origin, and we will continue to do so. Also, at this time in our unprecedented history, we feel we must lend our public voice to the defense of the core American values of freedom of religion, of speech, of press, of peaceful assembly, and freedom to petition the government.
Non-violent disagreement and criticism of the government, government policies, or elected officials are protected by our Constitution. We must be counted among those who are committed to protecting the Constitution.
Theodore Roosevelt addressed freedom of speech in a 1918 editorial in “The Kansas City Star.” He wrote, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Soon after he left office, reporters asked President Lyndon Johnson about the satire that the Smothers Brothers directed at him. “It is part of the price of leadership of this great and free nation to be the target of clever satirists,” he said, adding, “May we never grow so somber or self-important that we fail to appreciate the humor in our lives.”
As David Brooks recognizes, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are now under assault from government officials, and it is our civic duty to publicly defend these basic freedoms. I often heard Uncle Marvin, prominent Ocracoke citizen and scoutmaster for the island’s mounted boy scout troop, admire our first amendment protections. Today we must stand strong to not only defend our core American values, but also to resist any attempts to weaken them.
I believe Uncle Marvin would agree.