Free Speech

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Probably because of the field I teach in, I am an advocate of free speech. And I'm pretty absolute about it. That's why I am puzzled by attempts to restrict it. However, I only fear attempts to restrict it that originate from the government, and while I am not a lawyer or expert on this, that doesn't seem to be the problem, although I realize an argument could perhaps be made that the Patriot Act is a form of censorship. The argument against the Patriot Act seems to be more in the realm of the fourth amendment. That's another one I'm absolute about even though I don't believe the right to privacy is necessarily in the constitution or the basis of a right to abortion, despite what the Supreme Court claimed. But back to the original thought, it really doesn't seem to me that the federal government is restricting anyone's talk nowadays. But someone is.

I am puzzled by the Far Left's denunciation of Obama for talking to a Fox News pundit. What is that about? Who do they think they are? Aren't people on the left supposed to be for unlimited civil liberties? Can't anybody talk to anybody they want? There is something vaguely racist in this; the smart white lefties have to reign the charismatic but misguided half-black guy, so they pressure him.

As I said, I'm perplexed by this, not even to thinking it's funny. The state of civil public discourse is in bad shape in this country, but the people who should make it better are trying hard not to, on both the left and right.

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