The Pros And Cons Of The Clown Sighting

The clown sighting phenomena has been on going for about two months, and today, is still making it on to the daily news. The once fun and jovial character, is now considered frightening and dangerous to the communities their sighted in. Within the past week, there have been a couple of clown sightings around the Rochester area that has made way on to the Democrat and Chronicle. Although these sights have been visuals resembling a nightmare, “people dressed as clowns reported around Rochester haven't been charged any crimes, although police have checked into some of the sightings,” (Taddeo & Clausen, 2106, p. 5). What is it that has driven members of the community to dress up as clowns and scare those around them? These behaviors can be linked
to the individuals and the rights they believe they have. “A right is a justified claim on others,” (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks & Meyer, 2014, p. 3), or simplified, a privilege almost. The most common and well-known right, which is also known as the first amendment, is Freedom of Speech. Freedom of Speech can include any opinion without limitation. This is where the clowns being sighted begin to justify their actions. They have the right to wear a red nose and wig, they have the right to walk down the street, they have the right to do everything they are doing, as long as there is no harm being done. The people posing as clowns know that showing, “attention to rights ensures that the freedom and well-being of each individual will be protected when others threaten that freedom or well-being,” (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks & Meyer, 2014, p. 11). It is possible that these individuals know that they are able to act in this manner, and continue to do so as long as they are not doing wrong. They know that being sighted may cause questioning, but they also know that their acts will not get them into trouble because they have freedom of speech.