The High Price Paid for Freedom of Speech

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Rep_ Michele Bachmann "U_S_ Starting Youth Re-Education Camps"

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It is always parroted that the exercise of freedom of speech and the constitutional guarantee protected and accorded those who reside in the United States of America, protects all speech, including speech that may not be agreeable or appealing to all whose ears may find some of these expressions loathsome and hateful.

But, what of responsibility? Can responsibility be weighed, expected and legislated as a component to bring those who would be guilty of the equivalent of that careless, thoughtless person shouting 'Fire!' in that crowded building, forcing some form of accountability?

When Senator Barack Obama entered the race for President of the United States in February 2008, his campaign was more or less forced to request Secret Service protection for their candidate, earlier than any other presidential candidate since the Secret Service began extending their protection to presidential candidates in 1968.

After his election, President Obama has received an ever increasing number of death threats, sadly, with each level of his successful bid for the presidency, his candidacy, the election and the inauguration adding yet another record amount of threats all along the way. Several alleged plots/threats have been thwarted.

The Secret Service has pointed out that, although some of this rancor may be due to the President's racial composition, there are other elements that have some individuals alarmed and angered at the fall 2008 presidential outcome. Among the elements of concern for most Americans during these trying times, at the top of the list, are the economy and issues that hit home for so many dissatisfied Americans, effecting them on a very personal level: job worries, that is, possible loss of job or having lost their job, bleak prospects for regaining employment and their understanding, or lack thereof, of policy issues that they feel will directly impact them and their lifestyles.

Adding to these concerns and fears, currently, there is misinformation flooding the airwaves and the internet that the Obama administration is knee deep in a plan to take people's guns away from them, an untruth being touted loudly and maniacally by those who have proclaimed themselves 'voices for the voiceless'. Second amendment gun rights groups are touting their 'understanding' that this fear is a real concern, one that should not be taken lightly by those who are desirous of a continuation of their constitutional right to bear arms.

Guns and ammunition began flying off the shelves the day after the election of President Obama on November 5, 2008.

All so called proponents of one ideology or the other 'spin' facts to reflect their articulated position, pro or con, depending upon which side of the issue they wish to plant themselves. However, since the 2008 presidential election cycle and campaign began, the tendency to offer clearly incendiary, downright dangerous rhetoric has gotten far out of hand, with talking heads of the Right now calling for citizens to arm themselves and rise up to take back their country.

Not all who may hear that call are capable of distinguishing or understanding rhetorical flourish, assuming that is what was the intent by those issuing those commanding statements. Self professed crusaders, all donning a cape to save America from 'liberals', with the word 'liberals' uttered through clenched, disapproving teeth, tick off one by one the horrors of the new world being ushered in, with actual visuals of Nazi Germany displayed in the background, ranting of the coming fascism and calling for the overthrow of the current administration, elected by the majority of Americans in the United States of America on November 4, 2008.

One representative in the United States' Congress, representing Minnesota, has proclaimed that Americorp, who has had members, in the past, work with local and national organizations like Habitat for Humanity, with Americorp meant to be a conduit through which young people can become engaged in the process of voluntary service to their country, that's is to the United States of America, with this representative claiming the service is mandatory, which it is not, this representative states that she fears, in reality, Americorp is a 're-education' camp, that will brainwash the youth of America.

Self described conservatives and right wingers rail day after day, night after night, on television, in print and most definitely all over the internet, that the life many Americans have come to love is being destroyed, to be replaced with an ominous, evil empire, meant to dominate all of America. Fear. Fear. Fear.

No matter how wild eyed or far fetched many Americans may view some of these individuals promoting their form of fear of the current administration, bear in mind that fear is most often an unreasonable emotion. If fear can cause many, who might normally be calm and level headed individuals, to transform into mindless, heedless actors on a stage, set against a backdrop of less than fully developed, often obscured and flawed scenery, what might fear cause the 'less grounded' among us to do?

This is not a reworking of the 'Twinkie' defense, 'Too much sugar made me/him/her/them do it!' At what point does American society step up and acknowledge that, as has always been in difficult times, those that would exercise their freedom of speech, need to be aware that many individuals are looking for a target upon which to focus their anger? When caught up in a whirlpool of fear and confusion, no one can think straight.

The most recent incident that occurred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, April 4, 2009, with a 23 year old man killing three police officers that came to his mother's home, at her request, to get him out of the house, had his friends describing his fear that his guns would be taken from him by the current administration.

In July 2008, a distressed man walked into a church in Tennessee, opening fire, killing two people and injuring others, before he was wrestled to the floor by parishioners in the church, wrote what was meant to be a suicide note.

From his handwritten, four page note: .... The only way we can rid ourselves of this evil is kill them in the streets. Kill them where they gather. I'd like to encourage other like minded people to do what I've done. If life aint worth living anymore don't just Kill yourself. Do something for your Country before you go. Go Kill Liberals!

This note was found by law enforcement, who were searching the man's home for a motive.

They also found copies of Liberalism is a Mental Disorder by Michael Savage, Let Freedom Ring by Sean Hannity and The O'Reilly Factor by Bill O'Reilly.

No truer statement was made by one of the church members, John Bohsted, that tackled Jim Adkisson, the man in Tennessee.

An excerpt from Glenn Beck and the Rise of Fox News' Militia Media : “ There are a lot of people who hate liberals and if we stir that around in the pot and on the airways, eventually there will be people (like Adkisson) ... who get infected by the violent rhetoric and put it into violent action,” Bohsted said. He remained worried about future violence: “Do you think there are other Jim Adkissons out there listening to hate speech? I do.” Me too. So do I.  

Also at NowPublic: Playing with Fire

The 'Right Wing' Conspiracy