The Heckler's Veto


The United States Supreme Court calls it "the heckler's veto":  free speech being outlawed for fear someone might react adversely to it. The attack on free speech in America is growing at an alarming rate.  Over the past several weeks, several stories have been thrust to the forefront as political correctness gone a muck moves to stifle freedom of expression, the bedrock of our system.  Even more alarming, these incidents are happening in our schools where impressionable children are being taught that correct speech is more important than free speech.  The problem is simple: who determines what is correct speech.

The most widely reported story is the Condoleezza Rice incident at Rutgers.  Former Secretary of State Rice withdrew from her participation in commencement ceremonies at the taxpayer supported state university of New Jersey after a bunch of left wing thugs stormed the Chancellor's office demanding that the "war criminal" be banned from speaking.  Rutgers stood by its invitation to Rice...tepidly.   Rice got the message and decided it would not be in the best interest of the school or students for the focus of the day to be on her rather than the graduates.   She is a class act.  Shame on Rutgers.  Shame on the faculty. 

The battle continues in California as students at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California, continue to be caught in the middle of an American flag controversy.   On February 10 a three judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision by the school forbidding the wearing of American flag shirts on Cinquo De Mayo, the Mexican independence day. The school was afraid some Mexican students would be offended and would instigate violence.  The court panel compared the American flag to racist connotations of the Confederate flag.  Meanwhile, Mexican students were free to celebrate the Mexican flag.  Tea Party protesters stood in front of a chain link fence built by the school to keep them off of school property silently waiving the American flag, as various Mexican students inside the fence hurled racial and sexual epithets.  The court case has been appealed to the full panel of the 9th District Court of Appeals, the next step on the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
 
Meanwhile, in San Antonio, Texas, Forbes Elementary School has banned a mother from visiting her child on campus.  Apparently the mother was on school property having a private discussion with a friend.  The school principal was eavesdropping on the conversation and heard what she deemed to be "inappropriate" language. The mother received a "letter of trespass" advising her that she would be arrested if she returned to the campus, and that the police would be waiting for her.  The mother denies using inappropriate language.  School officials cite a "no tolerance" policy, the hallmark of American constitutional violations, but have yet to say no tolerance of what.

These types of events are occurring with more and more frequency.  The chilling effect on bulwarks of our democracy is becoming a deep freeze.  Unless some sanity is brought back into the political arena, we are in deep trouble.  Our children will never know the America we grew up in.  Whatever happened to I may disagree with you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it? 

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