Quite a number of signs, banners, and interviews associated with the participants on last weekends 'Conservative' march on Washington championed the idea of increasing governmental encroachment on personal freedom. Perhaps this is so but there was virtually no one validating this serious claim with objective evidence. Quite to the contrary there was one indisputable fact that indicates that the very opposite of their passionate convictions is closer to the truth of the matter.
Seque to an article in todays' New York Times.
A report from Iran indicates that broadening punishment for those protesting the recent election results is taking the form of arresting the children and grandchildren of some of the dissidents.
I imagine that many Americans will greet such news with a preverbial HO HUM - what else is new?
But this is just the point.... At least up to today our present government is no where close to 'punishing' anyone who protests anything with such draconian measures. To censure Joe Wilson is fair and reasonable in the context of agreed upon boundaries of agreed upon civility. This limitation to personal freedom is equivalent to the prohibition to censure anyone in a theatre yelling fire.
Seque back to the conservative protestors.
Many of their signs and comments were provocative to say the least if not by most reasonable peoples' standards a bit over the top. Really now: Obama is a facist: the equivalent of Hitler and Stalin rolled into one. And all the other not too thinly veiled racist and fear mongering non sense.
My point is - that with all of this free flowing surge of pure hatred might it occur to the protestors and their adherents that at least up to today the current administration is more than tolerant of their provocations but even endorsing their right to protest even in their mean spirited way.
I challenge the protestors to imagine they are doing the same thing in the same way on the streets of Teheran.They would likely be shot or at least imprisoned quickly.
I hope I have managed to confuse them with the facts of the matter.
God Bless America! And as for President Obama: A Plus.
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