Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Honeybadger says, "Lay Off My Free Speech!"




I haven't delved into politics here, but perhaps it is time that I do.

First, please allow me to indulge in a little preface to my coming commentary: I am very much an All-American Woman. I bleed red, white and blue. I love my country and my fellow Americans, even the ones with whom I vehemently disagree. You mess with an American because he or she is an American, and you will bring down my wrath upon you.

Trust me, you do not want to go there. Not ever. Have you ever seen those honeybadger videos on YouTube? Yeah, image one of those critters crossed with the Terminator. The result is me when I am really chapped off. When I 'go honeybadger' on someone, I don't stop, I am relentless and I win. Always.

This is not to say I am violent or use physical means, but I do use my feistiness, determination and bagdinator relentlessness in order to right the wrong, no matter how long it takes. Though it may not always be this way, so far it's 6-love, my favor.

This brings us to today's issue: free speech. Perhaps it has escaped the notice of some, in particular some who claim to be the tireless defenders of it, that free speech applies to all, otherwise it isn't free. Some seem to have decided that free speech only applies to those with whom they are in agreement or those who at the moment have not chapped off anyone with their words.

What part of 'free' do you self-congratulatory, bloviating, talking heads not understand?

Honestly!

I can't stand Bill Maher and I thought Howard Stern's show was stomach-churningly repulsive. Not once, not ever, did I call for either to be silenced or shut down. I believe in free speech, which means for all, even when its offensive to me, personally. If I want to retain the right to free speech for myself, I must also defend that same right for others-for all. [Besides which, I am adult and quite capable of changing the channel-something I suggest more people learn how to do.]

When Juan Williams was fired for comments he made, I was right in there, publically decrying the move and supporting him in his right to free speech, despite the fact that most of the time I find him to be a clueless, sycophanitc lemming. When Martin Bashir 'resigned' following his vile diatribe against Sarah Palin, again, I was right there calling him out on his vileness, but also defending his right to speak like a hateful, retromingent jackwagon.

To those who believe the opposition should be silenced, I pose this question: until when? One viewpoint never remains in power, so those you silence today will shut you down tomorrow. Is that really your idea of freedom-that our rights are determined by the whims of the nimrod who has the power at the moment?

Here's a newsflash, my friend: that is not freedom and its not in accordance, not in the least degree, with the Constitution-our law of the land. The Constitution is the only thing standing between you and me and the power-hungry, self-serving tryant-wanna-bes. It is the only thing slowing down their neverending assault on our freedoms, which they must destroy so they can have power.

Some take this not-at-all-free-speech-but-we-will-call-it-that-anyway lunacy one step further, claiming that silencing those with whom they disagree is the moral thing to do beause its in the name of 'tolerance'.

*Shaking my head*

Sometimes there just are no words.