They are at it again!

You know those groups that think that if you don't think and say the things they agree with, they want, and try, to silence you? Well, a couple of them are at it again. The Southern Poverty Law Center and Media Matters for America, hardly the most unbiased groups themselves, have been trying to get CNN to pull Lou Dobbs off the air for reporting on the groups who wish to see President Obama produce his original birth certificate.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090803/ap_on_en_tv/us_tv_lou_dobbs

What is so ironic about this to me is that the Southern Poverty Law Center claims to be "internationally known for its tolerance education programs" http://www.splcenter.org/center/about.jsp , but it seems to lack tolerance for Lou Dobbs' reporting.

The Los Angeles Times characterized Media Matters as a "liberal media watchdog group." http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cnn4-2009aug04,0,6766403.story

Now, I personally agree with Voltaire, who said among other things "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too" (Essay on Tolerance) and "I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write." (Voltaire letter to M. le Riche, February 6, 1770). Isn't it sad that an 18th Century philosopher appears to have had a better grasp of the principles upon which this country was founded than so-called, self-appointed watch-groups?

Now, I would never call for any sort of "gag-order" to be put on either the Southern Poverty Law Center or Media Matters, quite frankly because I believe in tolerance and the expression of diversity of opinion. Such organizations can say what they wish. I too, am free to express my opinion that such calls for the silencing of opinions with which they disagree simply show an inability to comprehend the very foundations upon which this country was established, and, quite frankly, decidedly un-American behavior. While the Constitution of the United States provides that the government shall put no restrictions upon its citizens' rights to free speach, whatever makes these organizations think that they have more power than the government to silence its citizens?

In my opinion, any person or organization who calls for the silencing or other indivduals or groups lacks any sort of reason or logic to support its position and therefore relies upon bullying to get its way. These are certainly not groups I will personally support. Such groups are way too Orwellian for me, in their efforts to tell us how to think and which people and organizations they say should benefit from the rights afforded to all citizens ("All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." Animal Farm Chapter 10; "No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?" Animal Farm Chapter 5)

I do, however, and will continue to, support Lou Dobbs, even when I disagree with him. In my opinion, he has done absolutely nothing wrong.

"Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it."
- William Penn