SouthernBoy wrote:
Do keep in mind that there is nothing enumerated in the Bill of Rights to guarantee freedom of expression. That is a perversion of the concept of interpretation which is an insidious extension of the earlier 20th century.
If we, and we should, follow the dictates of the Original Intent, such a right would revert to the states and the people respectively.
Wrong. The First Amendment states that the government shall not abridge the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, to peacably assemble, etc. Expression is a form of speech. Speech is not just the words that come out of your mouth. As they say, "a picture is a thousand words." Passing laws restricting people from wearing clothing with certain words, images, etc., is an infringement on speech. As to forcing you to hide a gun if carrying in public, it is limiting your expression which is in turn limiting your speech. Carrying a firearm openly is telling criminals and other problem people to leave you alone without actually uttering the words. The government loves to try to find loop-holes in the Constitution to limit rights. For instance, "we support the right to keep and bear arms" but then they require you to have background checks, obtain permits, over-tax weapons and ammo, tell you how you can and cannot carry, where you can and cannot carry, etc. That is not freedom. Same with the First Amendment. "We support the right to freedom of speech" but then if you support or oppose certain views, you will be put on watch lists by the government, hassled by police at public demonstrations, and then they try to require licenses to have public gatherings, limit what things you can say and where you can say them, etc. If you don't think the government does this, look at public schools where children are forced to wear the same clothes as all the other kids, cannot say anything "offensive" or not "politically correct" and at the same time parents are forced to make their children attend these prisons.
You can dissect it however you want but the government continues to limit people's rights. The government needs to stay out of the private lives' of citizens. Whether I am inside my home or in a public place, as long as I am not clearly causing a disturbance to the peace, anything I do is not of the government's business whether it is packing a gun, wearing a political t-shirt, or smoking a joint. It isn't their business and it won't be their business because I won't take kindly to any government intrusion into my home should they have nothing better to do.
