Don't be ridiculous. Of course we have Freedom of Speech which is why General Dempsey had to ASK the idiot pastor to stop endangering American lives and did not ORDER him to do so.
You’re defending him? You should cancel your FR account and disappear.
Interesting that JCS called the pastor and not Sec State. Oh, wait, Her Highness has to keep her nose clean for 2016.
Understand. But at the same time a flag officer is a man who occupies a very powerful position. When he make a phone call to a private citizen it’s not like someone from the house down the block calling to ask you to clean up after your dog.
Understand. But at the same time a flag officer is a man who occupies a very powerful position. When he makes a phone call to a private citizen it’s not like someone from the house down the block calling to ask you to clean up after your dog.
WHY is an arm of the US governement doing this? By what authority?
A military officer has no business whatsoever asking a civilian to do or not do anything. Period.
Why do you call him an idiot pastor?
Because he has the guts to burn a Koran?
Maybe he’s an idiot because you are too chicken to stand up for Freedom of Speech, and he isn’t?
Maybe because you don’t know that Pastor Jones had NOTHING to do with the murder of US citizens.
That's like this quisling general going into a bar and ASKING the patrons to help him support prohibition.....
So, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is now a propaganda enforcer for POTUS and you support that?
He didn't "ask" him.
He asked him AND put that event in the major media so that
1. America had a fundamentalist to blame for the death of an ambassador....and not an islamic fundamentalist, and
2. Obama could hide behind a military uniform
Your distinction is meaningless and dangerous.
The Gestapo also started by “asking” people to do certain things.
If you as a Freeper cannot see that a question like this by the military leader of the armed forces departs the realm of a polite request and enters firmly the domain of government restrictions of speech, we are doomed.
What in your opinion makes him an idiot? I thought the video was funny
Point is: The General had no business making that call to begin with.
On the surface, you’re right. No problem with one person asking another to reconsider continuing 1A-protected speech.
Below that surface, when the director of the most powerful military on the planet “asks” you to do something, you don’t consider it a simple man-to-man request.
One ringie dingie.....
Two ringie dinies! (snort!)
Hello, Mr. Kaker?
Yes, this is Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. How are you this lovely afternoon?
Excellent. I just want to say how interesting I find your posts on Free Republic. They’re really a hoot sometimes, and we in the Administration appreciate some humor and your occassional support of us.
Nonetheless, it has unfortunately come to our attention that some of your posts have needlessley inflamed the Occupy Wallstreet Movement.
Yes, yes, they are a rowdy bunch. And they smell a bit too. Anyhoo, some of them have become violent as you may have noticed in the media.
So, I just want to ASK you politely if you would refrain from posting anything that that Occupy Wall Street movement might find offensive?
You know, anything like a defense of Free Markets or Speech. You know how it riles them up! And we at the Department really don’t need any more headaches.
I’m sure you understand.
For example, it would be tragic if anything were to happen to that nice dog “Fluffy” you’re holding or if that prop-job you’re taking to Sheboygan next week were to be, ah, “affected” shall we say by any of your anti-Occupy Wall Street postings.
So! Until next time, Mr. Kaker! You have a great day, and don’t cross any busy streets! Those OWS people can be so unpredictable, you know.
I think you’re missing the point. A US Army General called a private citizen and asked him to engage in self-censorship.
I think the outrage is that a US Army General is mostly occupied with the very complicated job of drawing up plans for holding on to enemy territory during times of war. His job isn’t to ask law-abiding citizens to self-censor because Libya decided to declare war on the US by invading our embassy.
I would like to see the reaction from Russia had their embassy had been invaded.
That's just precious!
Bless your heart!
General Dempsey has many offical duties, all centering around the military defense of the United States. He certainly has no role in advising private citizens as to the content of their political speech (if you regard Jones's speech as political) or their religious speech (if you regard it as religious) or the free expression of their idiocy (which is probably what it is.)
If Dempsey had made this call on his own time and his own dime, and without further publicity, it would possibly be justifiable; but to do it apparently in his official capacity (announced by his spokesman) is clearly an attempt to use the prestige and authority of his office to have a "chilling effect" on civilian speech.
We can incline towards Dempsey's point of view while still seeing that he is abusing his position.
The fact that it was publicized shows that he hopes that his efforts will extend beyong chilling Jones, to chilling everybody.
Jones's idiocy has nothing to do with it. Dempsey's efforts are incipient tyranny.
That's either sarcasm and you forgot the sarcasm tag, or you're a complete idiot. I hope you just forgot the "/s". A member of the government never "asks" a private citizen anything. It can't be done Behind every word they say lurks "the government". It's why freedom of speech had to be written into the Constitution instead of just being assumed.