Vet says free speech must come with responsibility

Scott Hannon, 49, of Cambridge — a veteran who served his country as a staff sergeant in the Air Force — said his military career took him to countries such as Turkey, Iceland and Saudi Arabia.

As he joined thousands of counterdemonstrators in protest of a so-called Free Speech Rally on Boston Common yesterday, he told the Herald’s Antonio Planas why he thinks the First Amendment should be exercised with human decency in mind.

“If you’re going to have something like this, have some compassion for what is going on around the country. Just because you have freedom of speech, doesn’t mean you have to use it at the most inopportune time. A girl died last week in Charlottesville. They don’t seem to have compassion on the other side. They want people to have compassion for them, but are not doing it themselves . ... Grow up and do it the right way. You can have the right to free speech, but do it at the right moment. If one of their friends were killed, I wouldn’t go protest at their funeral.

I can understand both sides’ views. I understand there are people who are white who feel they’re getting forgotten. It doesn’t mean I agree with it ... People who scream that cops need to be killed, that is not the right way to do it, either. Not all cops are bad. Not all white people are bad. Not all black people are bad . ... President Trump hasn’t helped the political climate and instead has offered words that have led to division . ... The guy doesn’t know how to lead.”