The Proponents of the Monument to Forrest Research Paper

The Proponents of the Monument to Forrest - Research Paper Example Courts of law have held that it is up to the judicial system to decide if certain acts carried out in private capacity under the First Amendment are publicly acceptable. Court rulings provide that private acts under the First Amendment are acceptable as long as they do not encroach on the rights of other citizens (Mitchell). For example, a person can decide to shed their clothes in private, but this behaviour cannot take place in public since it leads to obscene behaviour. Under the First Amendment and the right to public expression, a person could theoretically shed their clothes and go public, but under court rulings, this has been exposed as public indecency (Mitchell). In the current situation, the monument to Forrest is being erected on private land, but this private land is publicly exposed to the town centre. The monument to Forrest would be clearly visible from the town centre, and so it would become a public affair. If Nathan Bedford Forrest was recognized as a hero by membe rs of all communities living in Selma, it would be acceptable to erect such a monument to pay homage. However, Forrest is a disputed personality in terms of his historical acceptability to various communities and may provoke outrage in African Americans living in the town. Erecting such a monument in Selma may lead to racial strife between black and anti-black groups, which may trigger violent outcomes. In order to prevent violence and racial friction, it would be pertinent to ensure that the monument to Forrest is not erected near major public centres.