Now, Bryan Fischer (of the American Family Association) said just last month that the First Amendment doesn't apply to Mormons. So the New York Times asked the Romney's people to comment on that, but the campaign didn't reply.
Why is anyone surprised about that? It's Romney's people! How could they reply? They don't have the right!
Ought to be a short speech, though.
But this move of Romney's is only... interesting (you know - the polite way to say "pandering"). Other people are just outright stupid.
On ABC’s Top Line today, Rep. Paul Broun, a tea party Republican from Georgia, said the ("Occupy Wall Street") protests amount to an “attack upon freedom” — one that he said is now being hijacked by labor unions in attempt to reelect President Obama.“Attack upon freedom”? Exercising your right to peaceful assembly is now an “attack upon freedom”?
“They don’t know why they’re there. They’re just mad,” Broun told us. “This attack upon business, attack upon industry, attack upon freedom – and I think that’s what this is all about.”
Congressman, please define what you consider “freedom.” And for that matter, define “attack.”
Especially ironic that, having gotten everything bass-ackwards like that, he went on to say that the president’s policies were “ignorant and incompetent”...
Meanwhile, Eric Cantor tried to whip up anger against those same protesters that broke Rep. Broun's brain.
"If you read the newspapers today, I for one am increasingly concerned about the growing mobs occupying Wall Street and the other cities across the country," he said.And then, completely straight-faced, he found the perfect follow-up comment.
"Believe it or not, some in this town have actually condoned the pitting of Americans against Americans."You mean, like trying to pit Americans against working-class Americans who might be protesting economic injustice?
But, just because there are useless policians out there, that doesn't mean we have to pay attention to them all time, does it?
Instead, join me in wishing a happy birthday, on this late hour of October 7, to the brilliant Tim Minchin.
Religion, and religion tied to secular government has long been the strongest force against democracy. People used to be excommunicated for advocating it - if they were lucky - because the right to rule came from God, not from the ruled.
ReplyDeletethere's just no compatibility between absolute doctrines and the ability to deny them and these "values" vermin are enemies of freedom even when they're not allied with rapacious business interests.
Their vision of America is that of an entity in which there's no government whatsoever and yet one must pledge absolute fealty to tyrannical, monolithic authority or be declared and enemy of the people.
ReplyDeleteI read a paragraph or two of some transcript by that fellow Fischer, and it was remarkable for its inanity; fruitcake claims were spewed out at random, all of them reeking with bigotry and enclosed within a wall of ignorance so thick that the very walls of hell couldn't compete with it. And I believe we have it on the authority of one of James Joyce's fictional Jesuit fathers that THOSE walls are 4,000 miles thick. 'Nuff said.
There seems to be a double standard and self-serving duplicity as to what constitutes free speech in this country. When right wingers spout bullshit, they characterize it as gospel. When we question their motives, the right wing characterizes it this way:
ReplyDelete"As usual, the Left hates freedom and controls thought."
So criticism from the left is spun as “thought control,” “censorship,” “suppression,” "political correctness," an "attack on freedom" or any epithet you can throw at it. Freedom, I like that word but not the way inquisitors wield it.
No, no, no, the right wing doesn’t think anyone is entitled to free speech if said speech contradicts their authoritarian ways.
Where does it say in the Constitution anything about two distinct definitions of free speech? One for GodBot junkies and one for apostates, heretics and witches?
When TeaHoos speak, can the stench of human corpses on burning pyres be far behind?