The Death of “Free Speech” and “Expression”

Some might say that we are on the road to dealing the death blow to “free speech” and “expression”. Is that an extreme view or statement?

Well, let’s look at some incidents that might give some credence this statement. Just recently, the CEO of Mozilla, was “forced” to resign his position because he once donated to a traditional marriage group who campaigned for Proposition 8 in California, which was a proposition against legalizing same-sex marriage (it passed in liberal California with 53% of the vote); a Somali woman who champions women’s rights in Muslim countries, was denied an honorary degree at Brandeis University because of her views on the practices of Islam in regards to their treatment of women; and the organized effort of the feared “I.R.S.” to target organizations and groups they deemed not “politically correct”, and on and on and on. This might reasonably be called the new “fascism”, under the cloak of “equality” and “fairness”, which could lead to the death of free speech and expression, in this, the citadel of freedom, the United States of America.

For the past 5 years, we have been bombarded by certain groups and political operatives that any negative views that people may have, and which they attempt to air those views, the wrath of those “free speech deniers” will come down upon them with vengeance. Should we be mimicking Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, China, and No. Korea, who routinely stifle free speech and expression?

In our country today, the right to express your views, without recrimination and vituperation, on the topics of global warming, same-sex marriage, and legalization of drugs, to name just a few, is a perilously close to being shut down. If you disagree with the Liberal (a/k/a Progressive) viewpoint, you become enemy #1, #2, and #3 in the eyes of some misguided Democrats and left-leaning media talking heads. The use of mockery and inferences of being un-American, because you might hold opposing views, are thrown about willy-nilly in hopes of shutting down dissenting opinion. They want you to shut up and be quiet, they don’t want you to rock the boat.

A few years ago, the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain was targeted for a boycott because the owner was in favor of traditional marriage. This outrageous attempt failed as scores of people around the country specifically went out to patronize these restaurants to show their support for free speech and support for the owner.

The antidote for “objectionable ” free speech is more free speech, not less. Too many people around the world don’t have the right to express themselves as we have here in the United States.

Let’s all rise up and voice the cry that was made famous in the 1976 movie “Network”, when the lead actor Peter Finch went to the window and yelled out, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore”. That would be a soul cleansing move that is badly needed in these trying, “politically correct” times.

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann