Battle for Free Speech

Senator Jim DeMint has put forth the Broadcast Freedom Act banning the Fairness Doctrine. At the same time, Senator Durbin has offered an amendment which will impose the fairness doctrine through FCC regulations.

The Fairness Doctrine is a clever name. Who doesn't want to be fair? If liberals truly wanted fairness, they would be talking about balancing the liberal-leaning television news, Hollywood, newspapers and more. These liberals don't want to be fair though. They want to silence the voices of dissent. In actuality, it is a censorship doctrine. By trying to force a balance of ideas on radio, the government stomps all over free speech. Powers that be, which are supposed to be representing the people who elected them, are instead trying to determine to whom and to what people listen. Apparently, we don't have the sense to choose for ourselves.

News from Senator DeMint on the Senate floor yesterday:

• Senator Durbin says "the contents of media should reflect the diversity of America." translation: DC politicians decide what Americans hear.


• The Durbin amendment passed 57 – 41. All the GOP opposed it. Democrats exposed their plans to impose the fairness doctrine in the backdoor by FCC regulation .


• The Broadcast Freedom Act ban Fairness Doctrine also passed. Victory for free speech.


• Senator DeMint: We have closed the front door on Fairness Doctrine, but the Durbin amendment opens back door to censorship. The fight goes on.


• The ban on Fairness Doctrine passes 87-11. But the fight is not over, Democrats have attacked from back door on media ownership and localism.

Senator Durbin argued that what he was proposing is already in place. So why propose it? Hmm? He's hoping that by forcing diversity in ownership, less airtime will be given to conservatism.

Let's think about this: Diversity in ownership. Who determines diversity? Is it male/female? Black/White/Hispanic? Republican/Democrat? Christian/Atheist/Muslim? I suggest it will be whichever promotes liberal viewpoints. They may have to switch it up in order to find "the right balance."

The First Amendment says, in part, that "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." To silence or ration the voices of dissent is unethical and unconstitutional.

The Silencing of Dissent

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." - President Barack Obama

President Obama, let us not silence the voices of dissent.

Let's put away the Fairness Doctrine which would force radio stations to air both sides of any controversial topics but leave liberal-run television and newspapers alone. Christian radio stations voicing moral concerns would be forced to share viewpoints in opposition to the Bible. Talk radio would lose revenue and jobs because people that want a conservative viewpoint don't want to listen to the emotional ranting of liberals. It is an attempt to silence conservative voices.

Let's stop supporting hate crimes legislation which elevates one group of people above others, creating a special class. Our laws protect every citizen equally. Each crime has a consequence. What crime is not based in hate? This legislation seeks to punish extensively anyone who commits a crime "with actual or perceived bias against" a person's sexuality or religion. Perceived bias. Do we now have thought police? The Declaration of Independence says "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Our right to free speech is under attack by an inquest of "hate speech." Hate Crimes legislation is an attempt to silence anyone who believes and says that homosexuality is wrong. It is an attempt to silence Christians who believe what God says in the Bible.

Let us keep the Motion to Recommit. The Motion to Recommit has been used for a century by the minority party to amend a bill before it passes. In the last Congress, Republicans were able to block some tax increases using the Motion to Recommit. Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats passed rules severely limiting the ability of conservatives to debate policies important to a great many Americans. It is an attempt to silence many concerned voices in America.

President Obama, please don't silence our voices of dissent.

I Have a Question.

Here's a quick thought.

Apparently, Barack Obama doesn't like to be questioned or called to task on what he says. When asked a simple question recently about his tax plan by Joe the plumber, Obama let slip his real philosophy, "I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
In response to people plainly seeing his socialistic views, he tries to change the focus and attacks a citizen. He mocks Joe at rallies; he has Joe's background invaded.

When Senator Joe Biden is finally asked some real questions about Obama's policies by a news anchor in Florida, he's incredulous. He even claims that "Obama doesn't want to spread the wealth around." Excuse me, Senator Biden, but we have video that Obama wants to do just that.
Instead of just answering the questions, he gets huffy and asks who wrote those questions.
The Obama campaign then shuts that station off from any more interviews or access to the campaign. It doesn't end there. They go after the Barbara West's (the news anchor) husband. They try to say that she is jaded because her husband helped raise money for Republicans. Never mind how many mainstream media members are married to Democrats.

All of a sudden associations matter? Disregard that we've heard all year long that it simply doesn't matter that Senator Obama has associations with the likes of Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Rashid Khalidi, Tony Rezko, ACORN and more.

Since Obama treats people this way now, when he's simply running for President, what would he do if he becomes President?

10/31/08 update: The Washington Times, The New York Post, The Dallas Morning News. Journalists from these 3 newspapers have been kicked off the Obama campaign plane. Why? Their papers endorsed John McCain. The Obama campaign said their reason is that they just don't have room on the plane despite the fact that these reporters have been traveling with Obama since 2007. This is yet another example of Obama allowing no voice of dissent.