The first amendment of the United States Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." In this country, we have the right to speak as we may please without government interference. You will not be arrested for sharing your ideas. You may speak your thoughts and opinions freely through whatever outlets you prefer to share them on. But, this does not mean you are free from any type of repercussions.

Though the first amendment protects your right to express yourself, it does not protect you from the consequences that will follow your actions. It is perfectly legal to fire someone for acting in a way that does not represent the views of the company or organization. If you use your freedom of speech similarly to Kathy Griffin during her recent photo scandal, you run the risk of affecting your career, the relationships with those around, and other opportunities that you could benefit from.

Yes, Kathy Griffin was completely out

of line. Under no circumstances is it appropriate to photograph yourself with a bloody mask of the current president. But, it is less about his position of power that makes Griffin's actions disturbing. Regardless of political affiliations, it is important to remember that Donald Trump is still a man. It is equally horrific to see this sort of action with his face as if she had chosen anyone else.

Right-wing supporters have been claiming that this is a new low, but we have seen the backlash towards other presidents during their respective terms. The Obama administration faced many similar acts of hate from common people, showing the previous POTUS as being hung and claiming the phrase "hang in there Obama." These acts of hate have become common for the opposing side of politics. No matter who is in the position of power or if we are in support of their policies, there is no reason to joke about something as serious as harming or killing someone in that position.

Freedom of speech does not (and should not) protect you from the consequences of your actions. Though we all have the right to say what we believe and should feel confident in our ability to use this in our everyday lives, we need to remember that we are all people. We are still one nation that must rely on each other to continue moving forward. Political differences aside, we need to remember that we all are people. Though we may not know political figures in real life, we must remember that they all belong to someone. They are someone's spouse, sibling, child, friend, mentor, or play some other role in people's lives. We can all choose to use our freedom of speech to empower, rather than spewing more hate towards the world around us.