Saturday, September 23, 2006

The Burden Of Free Speech

James reminds us that the motto of The Wisconsin Forum is "Ideas have consequences." In a free society, what are those consequences?

The Wisconsin Forum, which James describes as a "pro-business" group is bringing to Milwaukee Joe Sobran, a conservative columnist, apparently of some reputation. According to Owen's post, Sobran's own press release claims that the windbag Buchanan believes him to be “perhaps the finest columnist of our generation” and that the pornographer Coulter considers him "the master." Those accolades say, perhaps more about Buchanan and Coulter than about Sobran.

What James does say about Sobran shows us something about him (Sobran)
Sobran left National Review after his anti-Semitic views could no longer be
tolerated by the magazine. Since then he has continued to promote his
anti-Semitic views, and has associated with Holocaust deniers.

Sobran is the flip side of Kevin Barrett. A free society has a stake in allowing these fools and worse to say their piece. Government has no place denying them their right to spew bile, venom and filth into our society.

However, the people of a free society has to accept the responsibility of being free. It is up to us to condemn and bullyrag those who foul our society with their nonsense. It is incumbent on a free people to stand up and say, "This shall not pass in our society."

This post has a narrow focus. It is a condemnation of the ideas of Joe Sobran, an anti-Semite who happens to hold conservative views otherwise. It is also a call to action. Look around you. See the filth that passes for commentary, the vituperation and slander that pass for argument. Then stand up and do your duty.

Speak up to the Wisconsin Forum. Speak, as the saying goes, truth to power. Do something.

You can't sit idly by and expect someone else to make this a better country or a better world. That's up to us.

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