If You Cherish Your Right to Speak Freely

then it would be prudent for you to seriously review the following news articles with those who might be influenced by your knowledge and caring about them.

The connection between the two articles I've selected is unmistakable. It demonstrates the kind of onerous government behavior that both liberals and conservatives dislike. But the groups will know they dislike it only if large majorities in each camp are waylaid in their conditioned reflex of sticking their heads in the sand.

Last year a bill was introduced by a Republican Congressman. HR347 is titled “Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011.” It moved through Congress under “suspension of the rules” (traditionally reserved for bills deemed non-controversial) so that there was no debate. Although it needed 2/3 majority to pass (according to the Congressional record) it passed by a vote of 399 to 3, which really means that both sides of the aisle are filled with knowing or unknowing (really?) despots.) It was signed by President Obama in March this year.

Now move forward to this last week. At the DNC Convention in Charlotte, we saw Kira Davis, a Black Romney Supporter Kicked Out of MSNBC Pavilion by security officers, accompanied by a US Secret Service agent. [Video is below the break.]  While there is nothing too unusual nowadays to hear that an allegedly unbiased news organization has decided it cannot tolerate even quietly held signs for the Republican nominee at its public venue, the participation of the secret service seems unusual were it not for the new law mentioned above.

It is possible that Ms. Davis was unaware of the new law (perhaps my readers will help bring an end to this ignorance). Whether or not she was aware, it appears she was not prepared to challenge such an arrest in court.

I am including two pertinent videos below the break. The first is when Fox news interviewed Ms. Davis. The second is when Andrew Napolitano predicted back in March how the law would be used to selectively persecute based on the arbitrary decision of the Praetorian Guard Secret Service.  

I want to underscore the facts behind how this law was passed. The second video is entitled “Obama Makes Free Speech a Felony.” However, the law is bipartisan. Not only is it bipartisan, it was done in secrecy. Its very existence is owing to members and leaders of the GOP.

1. It was introduced in the GOP controlled house;
2. By a GOP congressman from Florida;
3. Debate was limited under rules reserved for “non-controversial” bills (That’s under Speaker Boehner’s control).
4. It appears even the freshman congress critters of the TEA party were unaware that Boehner would allow such a subterfuge to be perpetrated, and they voted for it.

BTW, I was pondering adding some additional stories that disclose how free speech is under attack all over the anti-fascist West (the sole preserver of the “speech is a fundamental human right” institution in a world filled with tyrannies.) This one about being fined in Brussels for speaking or writing something that ‘hurts the feelings’ of anybody in a protected class is the only one I will link today.  What to do about the gagging of Kira Davis under auspices of HR347 is enough of a dilemma to ponder without going overseas.

The accounting of the abuse of the law (claimed by head-in-the-sand people that it would never happen, especially outside DC, but even Snopes isn't that sanguine as they gave the warnings a "mixed" rating.) is shown here:

The warning that the law would be abused selectively to breach speech protection under the 1^st Amendment to the Constitution is shown here.