‘Right to be Stupid’ is a Right for All Americans, John Kerry Tells Berlin Students
By Jon Campbell, Christian Post, February 26, 2013
John Kerry has said Americans have a “right to be stupid,” as the new U.S. Secretary of State offered a defense of freedom of speech, religion and thought to German students in Europe on Tuesday.
Kerry told the German students, “As a country, as a society, we live and breathe the idea of religious freedom and religious tolerance, whatever the religion, and political freedom and political tolerance, whatever the point of view.”
He added, “People have sometimes wondered about why our Supreme Court allows one group or another to march in a parade even though it’s the most provocative thing in the world and they carry signs that are an insult to one group or another.”
“The reason is, that’s freedom, freedom of speech. In America you have a right to be stupid—if you want to be,” he said to the laughter of the students. “And you have a right to be disconnected to somebody else if you want to be.”
The Secretary of State also said, “And we tolerate it. We somehow make it through that. Now, I think that’s a virtue. I think that’s something worth fighting for. The important thing is to have the tolerance to say, you know, you can have a different point of view.”
