By Tony Powell
Do we have a misunderstanding of the First Amendment which guarantees ‘free speech’?
A County Property Appraiser in Florida asked, “Show me a successful Moslem country?” He has been immediately denounced by the media and others as a ‘Xenophobic Racist’ (I didn’t know that ‘Moslem’ was a ‘race’).
(Definition of xenophobia. : “Fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign”).
A Georgia politician reports that she was being ‘attacked’ because she talked to Saudi prince who is ‘Anti-Israel’.
(In Europe, you go to jail for saying that the ‘holocaust’ never happened). Since when was stupidity illegal?)
A ‘Nutty Professor’ in Texas called the U.S. a ‘Terrorist Nation’, because of a foreign policy which puts American troops in danger so that a ‘small elite’ can install dictatorships in smaller countries across the globe. For example, have you ever asked why the population of a fertile country like Haiti, live in poverty and near starvation? Apparently American politicians prefer ‘stability’ over freedom and democracy. Kinda like what happened in Cuba. Where a brutal, American-installed dictator (Batista) was thrown out by the Cuban people, only to be replaced by a Communist dictator.
Now there is a letter-writing campaign to get ‘the Prof’ fired.
Some say that this denies his ‘free speech’. But, in fact he is free to speak, isn’t he?
My understanding is that the First Amendment was intended to protect citizens from the GOVERNMENT.
But, while “A citizen has the right speak as he pleases. He must also face the consequences”.
Perhaps the ‘Ku Klux Klan’ is a modern example.
They can say whatever they want, but then, so can other Americans respond in any way they see fit.
Talk show host Bill Maher was quoted as saying that “The ‘911’ terrorists were brave and American pilots are cowardly”. When advertisers canceled, he retracted his comments.
One activist said, “The American flag stands for intimidation, censorship, violence, bigotry, sexism, homophobia”
A professor in New Mexico said, ‘Anyone who would blow up the Pentagon would have my vote.’
State leaders have called for his dismissal.
Unfortunately, the ‘media’ has now divided into two teams – Right & Left – Fox News -vs- MSNBC etc
The public chooses to get their. ‘news’ from a channel/publication’ which support their bias.
True Right-wingers prefer ‘crush-the-opposition’; ‘take-them-out’; ‘send-in-the military’.
And Left-wingers go with ‘Open Borders’; ‘Benefits-for-all’; Everyone-&-Anyone in the world has the right to ‘invade’ America and sign-up-for-benefits. The more ‘socialism-the-better’.
What neither seem to understand is that extreme right and extreme left end up the same – Dictatorship.
In fact, most non-European countries are dominated by dictators. Like left-wingers in Cuba, Russia & China. And right wingers in Asia, Africa and throughout South/Central America.
What do they all have in common?
The ruling elite have ‘Free Speech’ their people do not.
That is the most important difference between ‘Us & Them’
As I See It, it IS censorship if a GOVERNMENT goes after a private citizen at any time, in any way, for any reason.
But an American can advocate violence, bigotry, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia or racism, and any other American has the right to an opposing view – don’t they?
’til next time . . . . .
