Is Arizona Suppressing The First Amendment?

Right at the very top of our inalienable rights, sits the first Amendment. Arguably the most important in a democracy of this size, the amendment makes Free Speech a protected right, and one that no one in the United States can infringe on.

Recently, we've seen more and more infringe on our first Amendment rights, and that came to a head in Arizona.

The Incident

In the quaint town of Surprise, Arizona, a city council meeting was held. On August 20th Rebekah Massie, a mother and avid member of the community, took this meeting as an invitation to speak her mind on community issues, one in particular: Salary.

She began to question and condemn the city attorney's pay, but before she could finish her time, granted by the council, she was cut off for "attacking the city attorney personally", before being dragged off by police officers.

She was taken out of the meeting in handcuffs, detained for almost two hours, and patted down, all while her 10 year old daughter was left alone.

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The Fallout

This incident immediately led to pushback, both from social media and Massie's lawyer, Connor Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is with the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE. He believes that this action by the city council was unconstitutional, and portrays American law in a bad light.

He believes that elected officials are here to serve its people, not quiet them. Even if Massie had decided to get to the mic and spew expletives for three minutes straight, that's her right as an American citizen.

The two are now suing the council for infringement on First Amendment rights, and will likely win. While asking about a council member's salary is certainly rude, it is perfectly lawful, and the state of Arizona is complicit in silencing that right.

[FOX][NBC12]