As Americans we are all afforded certain rights and freedoms from the constitution. The five freedoms given to us by The First Amendment lay the foundations for the values of the nation, but they can be abused.

The Ku Klux Klan’s (KKK) recent rally turned violent in Anaheim, Feb. 27. Regardless of who threw the first punch, the real fault lies in those who incited it in the first place. The message of white supremacy and racial discrimination perpetrated by the KKK should not be tolerated.

While student journalists are provided many rights under California law, I know that students are not allowed to defame someone’s character, invade another’s privacy, or write in order to incite a riot. If these guidelines were applied to the general public, we could avoid incidents with that involve the KKK and other’s preemptively.

The freedoms and rights of speech, press, religion, petition and assembly are core to the American value system, but as a people we must defend these rights against those that would abuse them. A discriminatory rally used to slander minorities is not an appropriate use of the freedoms and will almost always devolve into violence.

The freedoms are meant for individuals and groups of people to express themselves and their opinions, to show the rest of the nation what they think. Expression could create a valuable dialogue, new ideas can be adopted, modified, or abandoned depending on what the general public thinks. — Rees Roggenstein

If the guidelines of not inciting a riot or defaming another are applied to the general public, hate speech could be avoided. The KKK members and others like them know what their dogma and rallies provoke in the masses, so why allow their speeches to stir up violence?

Though people like the KKK abuse their rights, the value of the freedoms is still immeasurable. The freedoms are meant for individuals and groups of people to express themselves and their opinions, to show the rest of the nation what they think. Expression could create a valuable dialogue, new ideas can be adopted, modified, or abandoned depending on what the general public thinks.

Great movements have been started using these freedoms, most notably by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King used these exact freedoms to begin a peaceful movement, a movement that eventually swayed the hearts of the American people. With his words he convinced the nation to move towards a more civilized society.

The KKK and Dr. King both used their freedoms to express an opinion, but the difference between the two is staggering. Dr. King used his freedoms to peacefully share an opinion of equality for all mankind, the KKK used their freedom to anger minority groups and cause riots. The two movements should not be treated with the same respect, especially when KKK intends for their speeches to end with violence.

Scholastic Journalism Week stressed the importance of the First Amendment and asked students to share what they learned about their rights during the week. Now it is time to defend these rights and freedoms from people that would abuse them and lift up those that exemplify them. It is time to defend the values of the nation by standing up to people like the Klan, using our words and freedoms to nullify their hate speech. It is time to move towards a better America.

For more opinions, please read COLUMN: Why journalists seek the news.