I’ve been told I’m a racist, neo-Nazi scumbag.
Considering the source, I’m cool with that.
I didn’t vote for Donald Trump. I think the Confederate flag is a symbol of treason and bigotry. If I found a statue of Robert E. Lee lurking in my front yard, I’d promptly take a sledgehammer to it.
But in today’s hyper-tense political atmosphere, that’s not sufficient. To be deemed acceptable by the liberal guardians of social interaction, it’s less about what I believe and more about whether I’m willing to suppress what other people believe.
I’m not.
I support free speech. Unfortunately, that term has been co-opted by the alt-right, and is now considered synonymous with hateful verbiage. White supremacists and similar slime are using the rights granted by the Constitution’s First Amendment to express opinions that I find repulsive.
I support that.
In fact, I think it’s essential for the future of representative democracy that these gormless meatbags be allowed to say whatever they like. Because once Americans start censoring political speech, it’s only a matter of time before somebody in government (and you know who runs the government) decides that what I have to say is so wrongheaded that it must be prohibited.
In this belief, I’ve found myself allied with the American Civil Liberties Union, a group that’s defended the rights of fascists and Ku Klux Klan members to march and give speeches, not because the ACLU agrees with those clots of bacteria, but because even human garbage has the same legal protections as the rest of us.
Unfortunately, of late, the ACLU seems to be backing away from its absolute support for unfettered speech, saying it would no longer defend groups that bring weapons to their rallies. Gun rights supporters take note.
That’s not good enough for the more extreme elements of the left. In a recent radio interview with Maine Public, one former contributor to the ACLU said the organization’s support of free speech was “appalling” and “terrifying.”
Let’s be clear. Speech is not a crime. Violence is a crime, and the Constitution doesn’t protect it. Whether it’s Trump supporters roughing up protesters at campaign rallies or antifa goons cracking right-wingers’ heads at one of their hate fests, such behaviors are attempts to suppress free speech. Both are steps on the road to totalitarianism. It makes little difference to me whether the dictators turn out to be leftists or rightists, since I’m bound to annoy either one.
The current liberal effort to squelch the speech of walking cancer tumors with swastika armbands smacks of McCarthyism. In the 1950s, Republican U.S. Sen. Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin labeled everyone with the slightest leftward leaning as a communist. His efforts cost people their reputations, their jobs and even their liberty for no greater transgression than espousing a political philosophy that a certain ill-shaved, rumple-suited, self-appointed arbiter of American values found objectionable.
Don’t be that guy.
And don’t be his modern-day counterpart, clothed in black (since the other side had already claimed brown shirts), identity concealed by a scarf (since the other side already had dibs on sheets), intent not on persuasion, but intimidation (at last, something both sides have embraced). Be respectful enough of our Bill of Rights to believe the answer to halting the spread of hateful speech is sensible arguments against it.
There are a lot of things in this world I don’t like and would be happy to see vanish: Adam Sandler, baseball stadiums with artificial turf, flavored vodka, Brussel sprouts, software updates that screw up my iPad, man buns, Starship’s song “We Built This City (On Rock and Roll)” and – yeah – Nazis. But I long ago realized I’m unlikely to get my way on any of them. And I long ago rejected trying to enforce my views by legal mandate, since that would conflict with my libertarian ideals, not to mention political reality.
Instead, I’ll switch off the radio, the TV, the oven and the iPad, and instead, with some reservations, write a check to the ACLU to show my support for what’s left of the group’s fortitude in holding its collective nose and doing the right thing.
You might consider doing the same.
If you can’t get that awful Starship song out of your head, complain to aldiamon@herniahill.net.
You do realize that in some circles, you would be labeled
anti-semitic or possibly a Nazi for wanting Adam Sandler to vanish.
Al,, just when I thought you were hopelessly blind in your LEFT EYE,,,you have completely redeemed yourself.
So where is the outrage from the Democrats against these criminals??
Bunch of “DEPLORABLES”,,,
Hey, a position a lot of us who disagree on so much can agree on: free speech trumps (ouch) political correctness. I hope the ACLU remains strong on this issue. One really only supports free speech when it is in support of something one vehemently disagrees with.
It’s good to see some support for the 1st Amendment for a change. For when we can no longer express our political opposition, ideas, and other things – BS or not – there are very few other doors open to us to resolve our societal differences in a peaceful way.
We’re all free to reject hateful or idiotic ideas from any side, and that’s exactly how this is supposed to work…NOT to shut them down, beat them, or make them scared to speak, no matter WHO is doing the spouting. If your ideas are the beneficial ones, ones that help…they will shine thru anything…it’s only fear that makes people afraid to hear what others have to say. Attempts to silence free speech make the ones doing it look exactly like oppressors. We all need to use our words, kids…
Scott: Obama (ouch! that hurt, but it was necessary for me to say it, just as it was for you…a little dig, y’know…)
Extremist rhetoric or action is deplorable, no matter which side is involved. Reject violence in any form. If you see or hear something that offends your beliefs, say so, but do not resort to hateful actions. “Do unto others…”
wait. ok, let’s see if i’ve got this straight…
the klan murders and threatens to murder people in order to stifle speech of those it deems undeserving of the same constitutional rights they enjoy…
nazis fomented right-wing ideology all over europe to build history’s most terrifying totalitarian regime that made war and outright murdered millions of people it viewed as subhuman…
neo-nazis and similar groups, who see these first two groups as political and spiritual forefathers with perfectly reasonable perspectives continue to use violence and the threat of violence to normalize their once-shameful opinions, painting themselves as victims, and simultaneously demanding their right to free speech while proposing to deny it to others…
and the liberal response: “violence is bad on many sides… many sides!”
we’ll just call them names, and that will sort everything out, as it has throughout history. because the moral arc of the universe is long, but it tends toward justice. tends toward. meanwhile, literal terrorists are gaining support from this administration and its apologists, and those who would have the courage to throw their bodies on the machine are told they are moral equals to nazis. that’s some lazy and reprehensible logic.
here’s some reading for the conscientious objectors, copperheads, and little eichmanns among you:
https://www.amazon.com/This-Nonviolent-Stuffll-Get-Killed/dp/082236123X
“Dr. King’s policy was that nonviolence would achieve the gains for black people in the United States. His major assumption was that if you are nonviolent, if you suffer, your opponent will see your suffering and will be moved to change his heart. That’s very good. He only made one fallacious assumption: In order for nonviolence to work, your opponent must have a conscience. The United States has none.”
― Stokely Carmichael
“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
― Malcolm X
The Daily Bulldog allows the posting of “comments” which are short replies displayed at the bottom of articles.
Above is from DB rules…..
So, myopic, the newspapers are clearly trying to make people hate the right therefore you’re admitting the views of conservatives are the ones being oppressed. I knew you’d come around.
Myopic..you certainly are myopic. If you can’t see that allowing “one side” to define WHAT is ‘hate speech’, and then banning it, is insane…I could easily turn this right around, and say the LEFT is using their speech rights to silence the RIGHT. Your comments beautifully illustrate the very point being made here. Several CONSERVATIVE voices have been silenced by Antifa, not just Nazis (but I’m sure you make no distinction, tho Nazis are LEFTIST SOCIALISTS who hate CAPITALISM…again proving the point).
The most fearsome regime in history were the Communists (Antifa’s progenitors who are idolized by them), who destroyed 120 million people, by the way.
It’s all about power now; who can get it by tossing our system back in everyone’s face and perverting the laws. Sad times. Bottom up, top down, inside out, huh? (Alinksy)
The truth of the matter is that, to silence opposition, the Left is now using political violence, EXACTLY like the KKK did (same party…). Call it what it is…it’s not pushback, or ‘crackdown’…it is Leftists silencing what they don’t like. Your leaders and media outlets are happy to go right along, hoping they can make some more laws. You’re likely going to get Patriot Act II, “For the Homeland”, due to the violence…I hope you’ll be as happy with it as the first one.
Thank GOD for the 1st Amendment. If it didn’t exist, or was altered substantially, or removed, a civil war would be the only way the sides would be able to “sort it out”. Hopefully the violence will tone down, and sort it out is what we’ll do. But not with the hateful rhetoric…like the digs thrown out every 2 seconds at Trump voters (just 1/2 the country, that’s all) and the man himself…perhaps we can have that kind of speech BANNED, because we don’t like it?? No, you prefer to dig at others, and make accusations you can offer ZERO hard evidence about. And alienate 63 million people while you’re at it. Who loses? The country does.
Man, that media propaganda is SO effective…
Roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar. To die for.
Maria, most of the leftist media spin makes it hard to rhe Maine political mix. The issues are simple enough. We as Americans still are protected by the 1st amendment in matters of free speech. Hate speech and lbspeak are both protected. The rub is a the violence being used to intimidate or silence those opposed to the opinion of others. Let’s say you got a bunch of overpaid college lib educators trying to silence the local taxpayers. Eventually the college kiddies go away but the residents remain. If the local folks feel badly enough about how they are treated by the little darlings, then you get troublle. This is what is occurring in the South over Civil War monuments. The same people that stood up and flushed the Pant Suit Queen in the last election will take back our country from the anarchists. Liberals and socialists are destroying our nation and will, if unopposed, continue to attack the underpinnings of our constitution. Our republic is strengthened through debate. Attempting to silence or intimidate the opposition does little to make ones case. Have a nice day out there.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Agree with Bob re Brussels sprouts.
Robert E. Lee did not fight a war over his own principles. He had no respect for human life. He lead a war over the principles of the slaveowner, and those principles were greed, treating human beings like commodities.
We cannot understand that today.(some of you can.) As for today the racial turmoil seems to be toning down so everything is rosey. Tear down a few statues, take down a few plaques, talk about how bad it was, for a while. Then people will forget. History is whitewashed, I guess we’ll just have to relearn those mistakes. Repeat.Real history is still history,sometimes it’s not pretty. It is what it is, whitewash or not.
Writing as you have I’ll just about bet you never lived in a 50/50 ratio black to white. I don’t believe you have lived through the racial turmoil of the 50s,60s, or seventies in the south.
Put a sign on it and tel the pro’s (if any), and the con’s. If it’s detrimental to the country tell us why.
Hell vote on it, you want your history whitewashed, vote yes. If you don’t want whitewash vote no.
What you are seeing with antifa is a bunch of spoiled brats having a temper tantrum.
The reaction to “them” is something they will dislike very very much.
In Europe there are hate speech laws, and they impact many groups on the far left as well as the far right. Extremism exists on “both” sides of the political spectrum (though a left-right axis is misleading as there are so many different facets to politics).
Of course extremism is all over the place, spectrum-wise. But not as common in numbers as many would like to think. And trying to allow one side to define it, to define ‘hate speech’ (a made-up term by one side, coincidentally) is insanity itself. Even “racism”…that was coined by Trotsky in order to divide the Russians (we’re all ONE race, in fact…there are no variations in human DNA that would go so far as to warrant a new ‘race’).
We’ve survived one H#LL of a lot worse than the really not so bad times of today…we’ll survive further if we can cut out the manipulation of people for political gain, get a sense of perspective, and remember that we’re ALL Americans, and ALL are doing PRETTY DARN WELL compared to so many in the world. People in general must have way too much time on their hands, and rather than trying to better themselves, seem to just want to tear everything and everyone down. If that does not stop, we’re done.
And no law will do it for us. In fact, that would have the opposite effect.
This has gotten way out of hand!! Leave the confederate flag alone and put dukes of hazard back on tv. It’s one of the best shows ever!!!
……… and I always liked the ‘General Lee”…
Has any of the critics of the south every lived down there? If so you would understand that they are no more racist than us pompous Yanks.
NONE OF US likes to be told what to do,,, how to be,, what to say,, what not to say,, who we are or who we aren’t,, what is right and what is wrong with us.
Some just love to do the telling though.
Get away from the mob and go Look in the frickin mirror..
“Has any of the critics of the south every lived down there?” YES.
@ If you ever…: You must’ve lived in some kind of a bubble.
I liked Daisy Duke….
Why is it a bad idea to get rid of statures of historical figure and events? The answer can be found in the works of the American philosopher George Santayana of Harvard and Cambridge Universities . He died in 1952 in Italy. He said, and this is very telling and important message, and not for anyone to forget “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”. (The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905). When considering the eliminations of reminders ,statues and memorial plaques, tack this quotation from a very wise man in your memory and consider the misfortune of removing them.
Dr. Bill Reid
They want the statues down only because,
“They’re having a Petulant Frenzy”!!!
Oh My!
this must be why we see so many statues of hitler in berlin?
i know this might be difficult to for someone ladened with a p.h.d. to reason out, but remembering is not the same as memorializing. i don’t know in what universe, other than that microcosm of the conservative mind, removing a memorial to something equates with deleting history. no matter what, the confederacy will continue to exist in history books, in museums, in john wayne movies and in the minds of the true believers and lost causers. i haven’t seen any justification that we need public monuments that depict these folks in pride and glory. they exist as a middle finger to those who fought against them, of which the state of maine contributed and sacrificed more than any other. the confederate battle flag still flies today as a middle finger to the civil rights movement. thing about middle fingers, if you go waving them around they’re liable to be broken.
those words you quoted, mr. reid, happen to be stamped on a plaque at auschwitz, a memorial to the tragedy of the holocaust (2nd only to the tragedy of the soviet union, according to some above!) it exists not to glorify that history, but as a solemn reminder not to repeat it. the paraphernalia of the confederacy exists in this nation for exactly the opposite reason. it should not be forgotten, but there is no excuse for celebrating it, which is what we, collectively as a nation, are doing.
santayana, by the way, loved the spanish and italian fascists and the totalitarianism of the soviets alike.
–rev. myopic
I fully expect “them” to move to expunge the civil war from history.
Myopic, you really are myopic.
Simple question for the simple minds, Where in the Constitution, the prior to 1868 version does it abolish slavery?