Criminalizing free speech by exploiting the Arizona tragedy

The progressive elites are tired of having to answer questions from the citizens about their policies. They feel that only they have the knowledge and power to make decisions for us. Questioning their policies is an act of rebellion that cannot be tolerated. Civility must be introduced which means politely going along with the status quo elite's agenda. Any strong disagreement about pending laws would be seen as hostility against these elected progressives.

Representative Bob Bradley (D.-Pa.) plans to introduce a bill to criminalize not only language but also imagery such as the crosshairs on a map by Sarah Palin. The Democratic Council used the same imagery in 2004. The government subjectively will have power to decide who to prosecute or who to ignore. Freedom of speech protection would become arbitrary and capricious. This would never pass in present day America but shows their arrogance.

On a parallel front, other prominent progressives such as Louise Slaughter (D.-N.Y.) and James Clyburn (D.-S.C.) want to give the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) the power to control the news that the public would be allowed to hear. They realize to be effective, state propaganda must silence the opposition, a necessary element of a government to totally control the populace.

Never let a crisis go to waste to silence the opposition and push your agenda. Moira Liasson of NPR has suggested that calling people socialists, fascists or communists are incendiary terms that should be repressed to have civil politics. This is absurd since these are defined terms, and politicians refer to themselves using these words.

Congressman Raul Grejalva (D.-Ariz.) blamed the tea party as responsible for the Arizona tragedy. Pima County sheriff and Democrat hack used his office during the investigation to place responsibility on anyone questioning the power of progressive politicians. They don't understand government serves the people.

These politicians are attempting to use tragedy to silence adversaries. The outrageous attempt to link Jared Loughner to any opponents of the progressive movement again shows their arrogance. These political and media elites have no respect for the truth or the intelligence of the American people. Anti-big government advocates were not accomplices in this deranged act.

The perpetrator was a 22-year-old paranoid schizophrenic loner, not a political extremist or operative of the conservative movement, the tea party or a Sarah Palin groupie. According to evidence, he is an atheist with a drug history that had done bizarre acts for a number of years and was more aligned with Michael Moore than the tea party. The Pima County sheriff, the community college, the local mental health system and his parents unfortunately mishandled him.

The American people are not buying the disgraceful politics of blaming the opposition to big government for this horrific incident. A CBS survey showed that 57 percent of the public does not believe this violent, senseless act had anything to do with politics. It was not caused by conservative vitriol or a climate of hate in the U.S. politics.

In the USA, historically there has not been violent revolution but there has been verbal warfare between the two parties. Paul Kanjorsky (D.-Pa.) is calling for civility. Three months ago, he said about Rick Scott, "Instead of running for governor for the state of Florida, they ought to have him and shoot him. Put him against the wall and shoot him." This is not civil.

The media elites have the obligation to fairly present both sides of an issue, not censor large segments of the news that does not fit their progressive narrative. They are supposed to objectively report all the news, not be advocates. As the watchdog for the people, their purpose should be reporting all the truth, not a lapdog protecting certain politicians from potential consequences of their policies or behavior.

Politics in America has always been a rough game. Dating back to Presidents Washington, Adams and Jefferson's campaigns, citizens in taverns and newspapers have flung inflammatory charges at anyone running for office or elected. This political tradition continued. The Founders believed all speech, no matter how vulgar or uncivil or untrue, was important for citizens to hear to be able to choose their representatives. They believed that citizens were smart enough to discriminate truth from slander.

The decision of progressive politicians and media leaders to suspend the truth shows their disrespect for the American people. After the Fort Hood massacre, these same people warned everyone not to draw conclusions even with overwhelming evidence pointing directly to Major Nidal Hassan, although they rushed to judgment in the Arizona tragedy. The radically different handling of similar situations exposes them to the charge of revising current history.

The progressives seem to be unaware that the public has become aware of their tactics and hypocrisy. The transparency of ramming through the progressive agenda of this administration by ignoring our Constitution and the will of the people has already heightened awareness of the American people. It has led to their continual loss of credibility and inspired the tea party.

To salvage any remaining integrity, a media elite somewhat apologized for creating a story without the facts. Arthur Brisbane, New York Times public editor, nine days after the tragedy in Arizona, said the Times should have waited for the facts before blaming the right. (The reporting) "detracted from what emerged as the salient storyline, that of a mentally ill individual with a lawful access to a gun." This confession will not end the media's attacking the right.

Americans believe in the freedom of speech for the entire political spectrum. The political and media elites encouraged personal attacks on President Bush while in office. He was called a Nazi, a moron and said to be behind the 9/11 attack. Numerous radicals called for President Bush's death, and Bill Maher said Vice President Cheney's death would save lives.

Personal hate speech attacks on the people on the right of center are a necessary evil to have a free nation. It follows the same should hold true for the people on the left. Once a political party and media align themselves, it creates an atmosphere of self-censorship and elevates the politically correct totalitarian program to suffocating heights.

No matter how distasteful, all speech is vital for our constitutional republic form of government. Our Founders knew it, created it and lived it.

Dr. Domenick J. Maglio is the author of "Invasion Within" and "Essential Parenting." He is a psychotherapist and the owner/director of Wider Horizons School. Visit: www.drmaglio.com.