Have you ever met someone that proclaims to love the freedoms we all enjoy, and supports those freedoms – except when they don’t quite align with their own views? Then they think that person’s freedoms should be restricted in some way? Doesn’t quite seem right does it? Seems rather hypocritical, doesn’t it? There’s a few other words we’re sure you could find to describe it, too. It’s like saying that you support transgender individuals using the bathroom they identify with – as long as it’s not a bathroom you’re using.
Meet Jennifer Ives. Of all people that should understand freedoms, especially those of speech and expression, it should be an artist – and in fact, Jennifer happens to be an artist by trade! Jennifer owns ‘Playing with Fire by Jennifer Ives’. Jennifer enjoys the freedom of speech, the freedom to hang an American, or Nazi, or Irish, or Canadian, or any other flag she wants in her window in her home (pending any other signed agreements with a landlord/HOA that she agreed to that would prevent it) and display it as she wants. She can even stop this flag on the ground, or display it proudly – these are all protected rights, provided she hasn’t given them away voluntary in an agreement such as the above, as the flag is considered a venue of protected speech, guaranteed by the First Amendment.
In a recent social media post, Jennifer asked if East Nashville could “help a sister out. This jackass lives in our neighborhood. He is a renter and apparently many people have approached the owner and politely asked for this flag to be taken down. Our neighbors are black, white, Jews, Christians, you name it. All attempts (even offers to buy the property) have been met with a resounding “no!” I understand this is freedom of speech, but it’s disturbing. Anyone have other suggestions?”
Well, Jennifer, we have a suggestion – learn to respect other people’s rights and views, even if they don’t align with yours. It’s very easy to protect and defend speech you agree with, isn’t it! If this was someone from a Muslim country asking for a Jesus flag to be taken down, we have a feeling we know what side of that argument you’d be on. Freedoms come with compromise. You have to let the other side have rights, too. That’s how it works.
Let’s review your words one more time, and explain why we think your words are bullshit, shall we? You claim that “All attempts even offers to buy the property have been met with a resounding no” – well, right above that you said “he is a renter”. So why would his landlord be interested in selling the property, he had no dog in the race, and is making a good income. The renter with the flag certainly can’t agree to sell a house he doesn’t own. So on this we call bullshit. You also claim that “many people have approached” – if you had the balls to approach him, you would not have written this passive aggressive Facebook post, you would have knocked on his door and had a conversation. You tried to make the issue sound larger than it was, and that you had a flock of neighbors on your side, and quite frankly, we once again call bullshit on this statement. Maybe we’re wrong, but that’s our belief, Jennifer Ives – and we’re entitled to it!
We find it hard to believe that an ARTIST whose works include those below, has an issue with another human’s freedom to express their own views. Here are some of her pieces from her site. How can an artist who expects her own views and thoughts and expressions and displays to be protected, be so upset that someone else is expressing their views, even if they don’t align with hers?
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