Posted on 01/09/2015 7:04:44 AM PST by shortstop
In the wake of the Muslim terror attack in Paris, in which three jihadis murdered journalists and police in cold blood, President Obama said it was an assault on the freedom of expression.
He said that as a free people, we must stand against such efforts to silence people’s views.
I agree.
But I’m surprised he does.
Because American progressives, of whom Barack Obama is the nominal leader, have sought to suppress freedom of expression for years.
I am certainly not comparing the techniques of terrorists and progressives, but I am contrasting the results. And I would suggest that that comparison shows that American progressives are more successful at silencing divergent ideologies than are Muslim terrorists.
I don’t believe that France is going to buckle under to terrorist threats to its public discourse. The United States, on the other hand, has already bent over and grabbed its ankles in the face of progressive demands to control speech and thought.
I’m serious.
The power of political correctness, and the social and economic brutality that enforce it, rule the day in America. Between progressives in the press, government, education and the activist community, whole areas of discussion have been banned.
Progressives don’t debate, they denounce. They do not pit ideas against ideas, they short circuit public discussion by vilifying and destroying their opponents.
Instead of advancing their cause on its merits, they destroy their opponents by finding some accusation to make against them, some violation of the code of political correctness which will launch a witch hunt of personal destruction and social marginalization.
It is a strategy applied over and over across the country.
Typically, some person or organization with conservative views of values – be it a talk show host or a religion or a candidate – will be caught in some word or thought deemed unworthy by the orthodoxy of American progressivism.
Though the offenses are arbitrarily determined, they have the same penalty – social execution. There is a purposeful, methodical destruction of the individual or organization.
This is true in the media, in education, in politics, in the work place.
Conservative ideas and the people who express them are attacked as racist or classist, or disrespectful of women or gays or the handicapped or the elderly, or whatever supposedly aggrieved group that can find. If a snippet or a quote can be found, petitions are passed, protests are planned, sponsors are boycotted.
It is an act of vindictive harassment, an aggressive and antagonistic effort to silence speech with which the progressives disagree.
It is a direct assault on the freedom of expression.
The hypocrisy of American progressives is that while they will this week lift their pencils aloft in solidarity with French speech, they will continue to put tape over the mouths of American conservatives.
They ban words, perspectives, even whole topics. They declare certain viewpoints – their own – as rational, educated and moral, and summarily condemn all others.
And when they can’t destroy the idea, they destroy the person. If you can’t silence the message, marginalize the messenger.
And so it is that Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Mitt Romney – and countless others – are mocked and lampooned, angrily and profanely characterized as extremists and freaks not to be taken seriously.
The NRA is made a pariah, the Tea Party is called a hate group, the Christian right is denounced as bigoted.
All of these are efforts to control the public attitude by suppressing the public debate, by silencing freedom of contrary expression.
You may say what you want in America, as long as it comports with the talking points of the progressives.
If it doesn’t, heaven help you.
Because our American tradition of freedom of thought, conscience and speech is sick if not dead.
Freedom of speech is nobler than saying the f-word on the radio, it is about speaking your mind to your fellow citizens without having to fear for your job, your community acceptance or your education.
In America, we no longer have that.
Some people limit free speech with an AK47, others do it with a letter-writing campaign, or a sit-in, or a protest out front.
What the terrorists are trying to accomplish in France, the progressives have done long ago in America.
"Sure you can slander the prophet, go ahead, but don't look to us for protection. You are on your own."
“He said that as a free people, we must stand against such efforts to silence people’s views. I agree. But I’m surprised he does.”
He _said_ what he was obligated to. Doesn’t mean he agrees.
Tell a liberal that you think marriage is between one man and one woman or that children are better off with a Mother and a Father and I guarantee that you will see your freedom of speech intimidated and closed down.
The left only thinks tolerance and free speech is good when one spouts their views.
He says what he is told to say. He does not believe it. With him politics always is the driving force.
....Yet, I predict that real angry blowback is coming down the road to end all this “PC” nonsense once and for all.
California newspaper office vandalized over use of 'illegal' immigrant label
Seems the left has their own jihadis.
This mornings Dallas Morning News is supposedly carrying “the” cartoons. However, I stopped by one large Pilot truckstop and two islamic run quicky marts and no Dallas Morning News.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.