In the merry merry month of May, I do not go in for any Dick Cheney-contemplation, which I'll leave to Dave. I'll just settle down instead with a nice refreshing glass of comical Chuck Norris stupid. It's the closest I'll ever come to zinfandel.
It greatly alarms me that Americans' constitutional right of freedom of speech is being squeezed out of our culture.
Pop not the zit of liberty!
Several years ago, I watched then-"20/20" correspondent Diane Sawyer
interview Saddam Hussein, who was dictator of Iraq at the time.
He wore an onion on his belt, that's how you knew he was a dictator.
She
respectfully confronted him for the atrocities and executions he used
as punishments for people who merely spoke out against him, his rule or
his politics. Surprisingly naive of America's constitutional basis,
Saddam asked, "Well, what happens to those who speak against your
president?" (He clearly was expecting that such speech was also a crime
in the U.S. and punishable by law.) Shocked by his sheer ignorance of
the U.S. -- and somewhat at a loss for words herself -- Diane quipped
back in answering his question, "They host television talk shows!"
Saddam's facial expression revealed that he was totally confused by her
answer.
He'd been reading a lot of Instapundit about the "Legacy Media," see...
Sounds so far-out, doesn't it? Offensive speech being punishable by
law? But it might not be that far off for America, especially if the
course of free speech continues on its present track -- a path of
progressive restrictions, both from our government and our culture.
It sounds less "far-out" than it does "trippy" or perhaps "groovy." Anyway, there's a world of distance between governmental censorship and having people who think you're full of shit say so, which is why I don't need jackboots to toss these pop-bottles from the bleachers. But kick-boxing Chuck wants to whine, and God bless him, that's his right under the Constitution, to snivel. And lie. Que Macho!
For example, presently bill S. 909 is on the fast track through the
Senate, poised under the guise of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes
Prevention Act. While the bill purports to target crimes of brutality,
not speech, once enacted, local justices could expand its interpretive
enforcement to encompass a wider meaning than originally conceived. In
the end, it could not only criminalize opinions (an unconstitutional
act) but also provide elevated protection to pedophiles.
Or, you know, not. Not that making shit up about this isn't profitable.
If our policymakers understood and followed the constitutional
government our Founders laid down for us, they never would advocate any
so-called hate crimes bill. As Rep. Ron Paul once wrote: "Hate crime
laws not only violate the First Amendment, they also violate the Tenth
Amendment. Under the United States Constitution, there are only three
federal crimes: piracy, treason, and counterfeiting. All other criminal
matters are left to the individual states. Any federal legislation
dealing with criminal matters not related to these three issues usurps
state authority over criminal law and takes a step toward turning the
states into mere administrative units of the federal government."
Taking criminal law advice from a Ron Paul class libertarian is only a marginally more stupid idea than letting one do your taxes. The real fun though is that, you know, how hard would it be to get Chuck Norris to defend piracy...? (Easier than it would be to get him to play a pirate on-screen, anyhow: twenty takes for "Arrrrr").
The limiting of free speech is happening through not only legal ends but also social avenues.
Holy shit!
It was tragic to watch at the recent White House Correspondents'
Association dinner how the present administration provided the platform
for and then laughed at a parade of mean-spirited, cruel jokes about
Rush Limbaugh, which made fun of his history of addiction to
painkillers, wished him kidney failure, and suggested he might have
been the 20th hijacker involved in 9/11. Is that even funny?
NO! THROW WANDA SYKES IN THE LESBIAN GULAG!
Oh wait, Chuck vaguely senses cognitive dissonance...
Despite
the fact that I believe even this offensive language is protected by
the First Amendment, is it the type of belittling humor we should
expect at a White House function?
NO! THROW WANDA SYKES IN THE LESBIAN GULAG!
When the feds seek to silence their critics through intimidation and
social demise, have they not failed to properly lead a blended nation
and uphold the heart of the Constitution?
Fluffernutter tiddleywinks insurrection motherfucker! YOU BET YOUR FUCKING ASS! THROW WANDA SYKES IN THE LESBIAN GULAG! Honda Metternich Miseracordia blabbermouth! Shitfuck bustardtits!
And it goes on from there....
Mark my words that the reinstitution of the Fairness Doctrine -- which
would subject talk radio, among other media, to government regulation
-- is right around the corner.
Mark mine that it isn't.
Government isn't the only one restricting free speech.
Also your cousin is. Tell him to knock it off.
We recently witnessed many in our culture clamping down on that
basic American right via the travesty of the response to Carrie
Prejean's -- who is Miss California and the Miss USA runner-up --
giving her honest opinion when a question was posed by a judge during
the Miss USA contest. As a result of her respectfully giving her
personal convictions, she's been persecuted and even has received death
threats from those who oppose her.
I don't care what your cause is. I don't care what your
mission is. I don't care what the issue is. I don't care what your
beliefs are. It is every American citizen's constitutional right to
speak freely, without fear of repercussion. If the First Amendment is
not there to protect anyone's offensive speech, then what type of
speech is it protecting?
Glad to see Chuck concede her speech was offensive. Besides that, though, how were her free speech rights trammeled? She said some stupid shit, and then some stupid shit, but a lot more called-for shit, was flung back at her. Welcome to America.
It's simply un-American and unconstitutional to impede, harass,
threaten or persecute anyone who is guilty of nothing more than sharing
his opinion or even exercising his right to vote. This is America, not
Saddam's Iraq!
Um. Gently. Even lovingly. As a lesson in Democracy:
Chuck Norris, you can suck my ass, you halfwit shit-for-brains homophobic bigot.
When free speech is restricted or punished, we can be certain that
we've drifted from our roots. Isn't it time we returned home to the
Constitution?
I never left, asshole. Now explain to me again how you're comfortable denying certain Americans certain rights, you crap actor pissant incoherent wanknozzle hack dumbass of an inadvertently ironically hip superannuated jerky-assed has-been never-was bigoted cretinous embarrassment of an apologist for shitheaded hatred.
PS. Please continue writing your delightful columns as I enjoy them immensely.
Love,
Thers
