After letting Twitter-gate roll around my mind for the last week (see: I am a complete laggard) I decided to play a little game called
Cromartie's Constitutional Convention Connection. After all, it was Antonio Cromartie who claimed to have had his 1st Amendment rights violated when the Chargers fined him for Tweeting inane Tweets about camp food and Super Bowl draughts ..... free speech in America and all. I'll spare you the Norv Turner and Thomas Jefferson ,
"Awkward Genius", comparisons and delve right into that stifling Philadelphia summer of 1787.
Back in 1787 a bunch of fellas got together in the City of Brotherly Love to make some profound fixes to the existing governing document of the United States. Pure crap, those Articles of Confederation. Very little power had been given to Congress and the lack of enforceable action by this political body was comical. Additionally, the infant nation lacked an entity such as an Executive Branch that could not only check the authority of Congress but could provide much needed leadership---imagine an NFL without the stewardship of the heavy handed Roger Goodell ---rampaging athletes without limits to be sure . So during a sweltering summer these fellas hashed out their differences, made a slew of compromises and prepared the country for a new course.
There was a problem though, with this new governing document. There were Federalists who wanted a much stronger role for the central government and then there were the Anti-Federalists who desired.....
wait for it..... the opposite. Anti-Federalists clamored for certain rights to be written down, set in stone for all to acknowledge as unalienable. Federalists thought this was silly,
"The rights were implied!", they proclaimed. This Federalist faction also noted that if the Convention were to write down specific rights to be protected they would invariably miss a few that were unforeseen
(see abortion rights and Tweeting about your Government)......then could these unlisted rights be freely violated by their Government?
The Anti Federalists led by Thomas Jefferson tasked one of the top intellects of the day, James Madison to create a Bill of Rights for this new Constitution. Madison was smart so he just created an amendment (9th) that would encompass all things not written down explicitly into the document of 1787:
If it ain't written down it's reserved for the people. People usually forget that one.....but they don't forget the 1st Amendment. The 1st covers a good many freedoms the most important of which is our Freedom of Speech, and that's why we're here Bolt Fans......
Chargers: Training Camp: Constitutional Law
Was Antonio Cromartie's Freedom of Speech violated when the Charger's brass fined him and admonished him not to be a twit while Tweeting?Cromartie says yes. A few who write the stories concur. What about the fans? I've heard far too many scream,
"This is Un-American!". Let's look at the text of the grand old document, shall we?
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.
I went ahead and highlighted the important parts for Antonio Cromartie and all else who think that he has been wronged.
Our Freedom of Speech has nothing to do with Tweeting whatever you want. Nor does it have anything to do with being able to voice our unique selves to the world. It only says that Congress
(GOVERNMENT) can't silence your voice
(with a few exceptions). So Cro' can tweet all he wants about how the Federal Government is raping his monthly NFL paychecks and he can do it all without reprisals from
The Man (and by "The Man" I mean Obama not Goodell as big Rodge would likely call him into the office for the ingratitude). But the 1st Amendment doesn't protect his speech when it goes against the wishes of his employer and so he is subject to being censured.
The spirit of the 1st amendment is to prevent your government from stifling your voice--
a voice which, in its active state, is the life-blood of a democracy.
Twittering about your employer's cafeteria
escapes the purview of this protection.I was always free to tell my parents that I'm old enough to do what I want and they were free to revoke my privileges to the family car. Just like Cro' is free to Tweet what he wants and the Chargers are free to terminate him--or in this case, to fine him and tell him to shut it.
The Constitution and the misinterpretation of our governing document aside there are two bigger issues at hand for the Chargers in their 5oth Anniversary year: The content of Tweets and Twittering itself.
I'll begin with Antonio Cromartie's Tweet:
crimetime31: Man we have 2 have the most nasty food of any team. Damn can we upgrade 4 str8 years the same ish maybe that's y we can't we the SB we need
Indeed, Cromartie accurately assessed San Diego's Super Bowl deprivation by blaming it on the organization's choice of caterers...... but such is the curse of Twitter and its debilitating limitation of 140 characters. The completion of AC's Tweet, space permitting, was:
crimetime31:your star CB sh*t the bed when he came up 13 interceptions short of breaking the rec, I had the nerve to boast bout breakin over the prev. sum. Sorry SD fans. (dammit! that was over 140 characters too!)
Think stupid things but don't say or Tweet them. Tweet in cliches Cro'
(go watch Bull Durham and listen to Crash Davis and Nuke LaLoosh discuss the topic). You don't need the spot light on you after last season. Be quiet and workman like.
The act of Twittering itself by our young defensive superstars was best articulated by a reader, screen-named
Boltsfanatic, at the Union Tribune:
As a lifelong Charger fan it doesn't make me less embarrassed about the idiocy that Cromartie is able to misspell or hide the fact that Merriman uses Twitter like a 13 year old girl in a chat room with the Jonas Brothers. I like it when football players are allowed to show personality, but the Chargers have too many classy players to be overshadowed by idiots who self promote on Twitter.
Well said Boltsfanatic. I followed
Crimetime31 for approximately 4 minutes until I realized that he too Twitters like a 13 year old girl in a chat room with the Jonas Brothers. I quickly dropped him like Cro's 2008 interception totals. Uphold the integrity of the organization as well as yourselves and keep your eyes on the prize, fellas.
A focused Antonio Cromartie and Shawne Merriman are the only way that
Vince's Hardware will find its way to San Diego. Bolts in 2009-20010.
Editor's Note:
Do not dispute the analysis found here. I drink beer and watch the Chargers on Sundays. On the other six days of the week I am a Constitutional Law expert (I say this with the full understanding that the term "expert" is subjective and bandied about quite freely these days.....just look at Matt Millen and his ability to get an analyst's job at ESPN).
