Free Speech

Don't overdo the civility

While political censorship is abhorrent in a free society, political invective is democracy's very breath of life. Yes, even when that breath has halitosis. This is what David Swan of Denver seems to misunderstand. His off-key swan song on today's Denver Post letters page scolds me for a May 4 column, "Who's Afraid of Ideas?", in which I supposedly violated my own precepts by calling the enemies of Douglas Bruce a lynch mob, the critics of Rush Limbaugh a chorus of pantywaists, and the avatars of political correctness in general, caterwauling spinsters.

But with his call for "civil discussion" in place of Andrews' alleged "stereotyping," "close-mindedness," and "derisive attitude," Swan misses my whole point. Civility is fine in moderation. Let's have as much of it as we can. But don't overdo it, please.

Let's never become such pantywaists and spinsters (if the petticoat fits, wear it, Mr. Swan) that we let our dainty betters use the rough tone of political debate or media polemics as an excuse to delegitimize the valid criticisms someone was attempting to voice.

The "How dare you" rebuke and schoolmarmish silencing gavel that Rep. Curry brought down on Rep. Bruce on Black Monday in the legislature are an offense to the whole spirit of unfettered discussion in our American Republic. These and the other examples in my recent column represent a call to arms for anyone who loves the freedom of the mind.

In this battle David Swan may be a pacifist, but I am an all-out militant. Against the hush-mouthing Currys of this world I will use any weapon short of violence -- including, if need be, taunts and name-calling.

Who's afraid of ideas?

(Denver Post, May 4) To fear an idea, any idea, is unworthy of a free society. To suppress an idea from debate is more cowardly still. How does our country measure up? Americans pride themselves on being free-thinking and open, and we generally are. But five instances to the contrary recently hit the news. The utterance of forbidden words had polite opinion caterwauling like spinsters who saw a mouse. It was a bad show. We can do better. The would-be censors targeted a radio host’s glee, a political party’s advocacy, a wartime nation’s realism, a legislator’s bluntness, and a black man’s heresy. Amid the Washington cherry blossoms, Jefferson’s statue wept. French seismographs detected Voltaire spinning in his grave. It was not a good week for free expression. Start with Rush Limbaugh. The king of talk radio exulted that he was “dreaming of riots in Denver” when radicals try to disrupt the Democratic convention. A chorus of pantywaists led by Sen. Ken Salazar demanded Limbaugh be punished. For what: stating the obvious? Civil disorder fomented by the likes of Glenn Spagnuolo and Al Sharpton can only help Republicans – but nothing Rush says will increase its likelihood. Grow up, people.

Then there was Linda Daves, the North Carolina Republican chairman. Her TV ad in a governor’s race, featuring film of Barack Obama’s pastor calling for America’s damnation, was deemed by John McCain as unfit for airing. That the war hero soon flipped and disqualified himself as “referee” only worsened the embarrassment. Why was he frightened in the first place by the idea of voters knowing this fact about Democrats and the company they keep?

Our epidemic of the vapors then swept the departments of State and Homeland Security, which told Americans to avoid words like “jihad” and “Islam” in describing the radical Muslims at war against us – even though many so label themselves. Mustn’t cause “offense to moderates,” explained the AP story. The bureaucrats prefer sanitized terms like “violent extremist.” Counter-terrorism expert Steven Emerson suspects the Muslim Brotherhood scripted all this.

So what else has arisen lately in the way of ideas to be afraid of? Don’t forget the unschooled rural farm laborers– or in a single pithy phrase, “illiterate peasants.” Liberal legislators and media scolds went nutso when Rep. Douglas Bruce spoke the unspeakable in a debate on guest workers. Censure was threatened. Bruce’s election challenger self-servingly urged him to quit. Memo to lynch mob: bad manners aren’t grounds for muzzling and persecution. It’s still a free country.

No survey of intellectual cowardice would be complete without an update on the campus thought police. Chris Robinson, the Colorado College student hauled into kangaroo court for satirizing feminism, is a tale for another day. Today consider Joseph C. Phillips, the black TV actor and columnist, whose April 4 speaking date for the College Republicans at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania became an ordeal of intimidation for his hosts – at the hands not of fellow students, but of administrators.

Phillips’s talk on – not for or against, just “on” – affirmative action must be paired with an opposing speaker, the hosts were warned, or vandalism against their posters and personal backlash against them were likely. When the GOP students stood firm, according to a report filed by Phillips with Ward Connerly of the American Civil Rights Institute, “they were finally told by the Office of Multicultural Affairs that they should have invited a white speaker instead of me.”

You can be sure that story’s not over. None of these stories are, because America’s journey toward a full realization of freedom and responsibility isn’t over either. The goal is a civic arena where all ideas openly contend and none are fearfully silenced. We’re not there yet.

Hassled by campus thought police

My hosts from the College Republicans were told by the university's Office of Multicultural Affairs -- are you ready? -- that they should have invited a white speaker to campus instead of me. Editor: Denver native and Backbone Radio contributor Joseph C. Phillips, well-known for his roles in TV and films as well as for his book "He Talk Like a White Boy," ran afoul of the campus thought police in advance of a recent speaking date in Pennsylvania. Joseph's account of how the episode turned out, given on our 4/27 show, is in this podcast. The text here is from an email he sent to another of our radio regulars, Ward Connerly of the American Civil Rights Institute, just before flying to Harrisburg for the event.

I am scheduled to speak on "Affirmative Action in the 21st Century" at Susquehanna University near Harrisburg PA on Friday evening, April 4. I was invited by the College Republicans. Early in the process the CR's asked the Office of Multicultural Affairs if they wanted to co-sponsor the event and have dinner with me following. The OMA declined.

Later the CR's were informed that the Office of Multicultural Affairs wanted to bring another speaker to campus to share the stage with me. The CR's thought about it and declined saying they didn't want to sponsor a debate. They were then told by the school website editor that they could not advertise their event unless the other speaker was on their advertisement.

CR leaders were again brought into a meeting with the OMA who told them that students were upset and they could expect that their posters would be vandalized and torn down and that there might be personal repercussions against the two student leaders of the CR. They were urged again to think about having the other speaker join me. Again they declined. I was glad of that as I am not interested in debating; been there done that.

After all of this, my hosts from the College Republicans were finally told by the university's Office of Multicultural Affairs (are you ready?) that they should have invited a white speaker to campus instead of me.

Click for podcast with Joseph C. Phillips telling the rest of the story.