Monday, April 18, 2016

Requiem for a Republic-Part 2


By William L. Garvin
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Last week the American left clearly showed that they are willing to allow transgender men into women’s bathrooms thereby subjecting women and girls to potential risk.  If you think this is hypothetical or nonsensical speculation, the University of Toronto has already experienced abuse. The left also now portrays the corporate support for their position as “brave” and “heroic.”  Weren’t these same companies greedy, evil, exploitive one-percenters just a week ago?  All of a sudden, the enemy of my enemy is my friend!

This hypocrisy is typical of far too many on the left.  As has been frequently noted, they will tolerate anything but dissent.  Kirsten Powers, a liberal Democrat, has an entire chapter (“Intolerance 201: Free Speech for Me but not for Thee”) in her book THE SILENCING: How the Left is Killing Free Speech devoted to this subject.  Professors and small groups of leftist university students have successfully shut down and eliminated conservative speakers and conservative ideas from many campuses.  Powers quotes Michael Bloomberg as remarking that “…conservative faculty members are at risk of becoming an endangered species.” The concept of “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” is as passé in academia as “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

This censorship, intolerance and intellectual schizophrenia can be seen in full force at Donald Trump’s campaign events.  Like him or loathe him, there is no doubt Trump is a modern political phenomenon and draws huge crowds that want to hear what he has to say.  In Chicago and elsewhere, he also draws large numbers of protestors.  True to the form of the Occupy “movement”, Black Lives Matter, and other anarchic gatherings, they are not peacefully assembling but deliberately stifling the rights of others to participate in our political process, to avail themselves of freedom of their political speech and to petition for redress of grievances against the current administration.  Many of the anti-Trump forces complained that his rhetoric “incites violence.”  However, where are the Trump storm troopers goose stepping all over the Bernie, Hillary, and Ted rallies?  It doesn’t happen.  The violence and confrontations come from protestors and outside agitators at the Trump rallies.  Trump’s supporters are threatened, cursed, given the finger and have their signs grabbed and ripped apart by rabid forces.  Protestors shout that “their voices are being heard” but seem incredibly oblivious to the fact that they are silencing others and denying them their God-given and Constitutional rights.

Trump is also accused of being “vulgar” in his speech.  Trump is Emily Post in comparison to the language being used by the protestors.  By the way, the epithets scribbled on your signs in Spanish makes them no less obscene.  What is actually obscene is the inability of protestors to articulate exactly what and why is the motivation for their antics.  Kierkegaard noted that “People hardly ever make use of the freedom they have, for example, freedom of thought; instead they demand freedom of speech as a compensation.”  This should probably be combined with Plato’s observation that “An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”

Our national debt is over $19 trillion and well on its way to twenty despite record tax revenues; Russia is buzzing our ships with fighter planes; Iran still chants “death to America-death to Israel”; North Korea continues testing long range missiles; terrorist activity is increasing around the globe; the Middle East is a disaster; we have record numbers of people on food stamps and out of the work force; and our immigration policies and border security is ineffective.  It’s time for problem solving not giveaways.  It’s time for free and open discussion of ideas.  It’s time for character not personality.  It’s time for competence not charisma.  It’s time to carefully evaluate all the alternatives before it’s too late!  Stand up or bow down!

“America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Abraham Lincoln
    


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