Letter: No freedom of opinion

I have come to the conclusion that the right to one’s own opinion is not a freedom we are allowed to exercise in this country anymore … at least not without repercussions! It seems if you work for a public institution, you cannot voice an opinion that is not “politically correct.”

I am curious what the response would have been if those public Prosser School District employees who posted on Facebook (or on a sign in the back of their truck) had written something along the lines of “Help illegal immigrants from being deported” or “Homosexuals and transgenders deserve the same, if not more rights than heterosexuals.” Would that have been acceptable? Would there have been an uproar against it?

Why is it some people have a right to voice their opinions, but others do not? Why does a customer have the right to sue a store owner because they feel their “sexual” orientation was being discriminated against, but the store owner cannot refuse business because of their “religious” orientation? Why is one right more important than another?

Some of the changes happening in this country are both saddening and frightening. Are we a society that is to be run by fear and intimidation? Something to think about, isn’t it?

This story was originally published April 4, 2017 at 4:42 AM with the headline "Letter: No freedom of opinion."