Limits on Free Speech Are Needed

There is little doubt that conservatives, and hence, Republicans, fight dirty.  They have had a field day with Obama’s life, spreading every imaginable lie and misinformation about him and his wife.  The quantity of e-mail that I receive has dropped off immensely after I told numerous people to stop sending that type of crap.  Of course, they called me a “liberal” which they perceived to be an insult.

This has, without a doubt, been one of the dirtiest campaigns in history.  It can easily make one wonder about the morals and ethics of the people who are wanting to run the country.  A couple samples of some of the dirt being shoveled over on Obama by the “robo-callers”:

Hi, this is Rudy Giuliani, and I’m calling for John McCain and the Republican National Committee because you need to know that Barack Obama opposes mandatory prison sentences for sex offenders, drug dealers, and murderers.

It’s true, I read Obama’s words myself. And recently, Congressional liberals introduced a bill to eliminate mandatory prison sentences for violent criminals -- trying to give liberal judges the power to decide whether criminals are sent to jail or set free. With priorities like these, we just can’t trust the inexperience and judgment of Barack Obama and his liberal allies. This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee and McCain-Palin 2008 at 866 558 5591.

And then:

Hello, I’m calling for John McCain and the RNC, because Democrats are dangerously weak on crime. Barack Obama has voted against tougher penalties for street gangs, drug-related crimes, and protecting children from danger. Barack Obama and his liberal allies have a disturbing history of coddling criminals. so we can’t trust their judgment to keep our families safe. This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee and McCain-Palin 2008 at 866 558-5591. Thank you, bye.

It has now been reported that between 30 and 40 call center workers in Indiana walked off the job for refusing to read a script that was critical of Obama.

Free speech is something that I will defend without too much hesitation.  I also believe that the “politically correct” crowd has gone a long way towards killing free speech in many different areas.   Of course, being an Old Codger, I can get away without being too politically correct much of the time, when I choose to do so.

Out in the land of nuts, (California) an ‘artistic’ fellow by the name of Chad Michael Morisette in West Hollywood has centered a Halloween display around McCain and Palin.  In the display, McCain is depicted as being on fire in the chimney, and Palin has been hung in effigy.

Creative?  Without a doubt.   Humorous?  Perhaps to some.  Free speech?  It is protected as such.  But, the question remains:  Is it an appropriate expression of “free speech?”

Homeowner Morisette stated to the local media:  “I know if we had done Barack Obama, people would have probably thrown things through our windows,” Morisette said. “The image of a hanged black man is a lot more intense than the image of a hanged white woman for our country, the history of our country.”

Morisette is aptly pointing out a double standard in society.  His assessment is spot on.  It it was a portrayal of a black man, Morisette possibly could have been charged with a hate crime.

Morisette does appropriately note that if he had done this display with an Obama mannequin, “people would have probably thrown things through [our] windows.”  This would indicate that he is probably concerned about his property, and also does know some of the bounds of propriety, despite not acknowledging such.

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