Posted by
Steve on Friday, August 21, 2009 1:12:12 PM
One time I was asked a question that made me think. The question was: “If Christianity was outlawed, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I had to think long and hard to determine if the answer was yes or no. I came up that my answer had to be a yes, because I leave a very clear path to show that I am a Christian.
But, I would like to modify that question today just a little. If freedom was outlawed, would there be enough evidence to convict you of supporting freedom? Since I blog and write frequently about freedom in its many forms, the answer for me would be yes. But, do I always support freedom or just when it is convenient? Do I support freedom for those that I disagree with or do I only support freedom for my side? Now, I have made the question much tougher to answer in the affirmative.
All of us support freedom for those we agree with. That position is easy because if you agree with someone, that person is not a threat of any kind. The hard question is whether I support freedom for those that I disagree with. As a kid I learned a statement that I used frequently. It was: “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” I have always tried to live by that ideal. When I see someone obviously trying to do harm to the country I love, it is sometimes hard not to want their freedom of speech or assembly curtailed.
An example of wanting someone’s speech curtailed is when I hear Barack Obama tell lies about what is in the subprime healthcare bill. I want someone to come up to him and say that he cannot tell lies about the bill in the House or Senate. But, he has the right to tell lies about what he believes if that is the only way he can sell it to the public. It is the job of the public to find out the truth. They should not just rely on the words of politicians that will often distort the truth to fit certain groups. Wanting his speech curtailed would be a restriction on freedom of speech and is beneath me. Therefore, I allow and even encourage others to speak in opposition to what I believe.
In watching and listening to the news and blogs, it is clear that one side in this debate believes in freedom and one side does not. One side speaks about what they believe and tries to bring out arguments to rebut the arguments of the other side. The other side generally cannot win in any debating situation, so they generally try to curtail the free speech of the person or group that is giving them trouble. The people arguing from the right are the ones that provide arguments and allow the other side to have their say. The people on the left are the ones that generally call for a law or some other infringement on the right of the opposition to speak.
Another example of this playing out is the response to the subprime healthcare bill. With all the opposition to the bill, the Democrats are saying that the people protesting do not have the right to protest or that they are using Nazi tactics. When Democrats were doing far worse in protesting against everything George W. Bush was doing, that was just fine. Republicans generally did not appreciate the protests against George W. Bush, but accepted them as part of the price of freedom. Republicans did not call for restrictions on the right of the protesters to protest. Look at the contrast with the Democrats and the subprime healthcare debate.
We, as Americans, should celebrate freedom in its many forms. That some Americans object to other
Americans voicing their opinions, it is wrong. That is the problem with many of the bills coming out of this Democrat led Congress, they generally try to curtail one freedom or another. This subprime healthcare debacle is trying to restrict an entire bunch of freedoms at one time. That is why people are protesting. When Democrats were cutting them off one at a time, people did not always notice. By doing it a bunch at a time, people are noticing and objecting. It also takes the mask off of the Democrats at the same time. That is why it is so great to see it finally come to pass. Democrats are being shown for what they are instead of what they pretend to be. They pretend to be the friend of the people and are the friend of the powerful. We can hope that this continues and the unmasking continues.