Clear and Present Danger

Usually, in my blog, I do attempt some humor or lightness. The more serious ones tend to me about me, or the occasional rants. But, folks, I am serious - dead serious - today. There is no doubt that we are fast approaching a nexus in our history, a point where if we teeter over, we face a grave and possibly permanent threat to our freedoms. Listen up, my friends, for sadly, this is no joke. The First Amendment to the US Constitution (quoted below) precludes our government from policing our thoughts and speech. While there may not be laws being passed per se threatening this all-important right, there is a definite trend in the US against this basic right. Hear me clearly when I say, if we lose the right to say what we think, to share our opinions, however bizarre, ugly or insane, none of our other liberties will matter. You cannot lose your ability to speak your mind without losing the ownership of your thoughts and that is what is happening. "Political Correctness", an idea which started off as a way of ensuring polite speech, has run rampant - even to the point where newscasters during the recent crisis between Iran and the UK refrained from using the word "hostage" because using that word in conjunction with Iran is politically incorrect, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE. Instead, they were "detained". British soldiers, who were in Iraqi waters (that has been proven, NOT in Iran, got it?) are captured and held against their will by a country they are NOT currently at war with. That is a hostage. Not using the word hostage implies agreement with the Iranian government and makes us complicit in their actions. This is where political correctness is leading us. In England, they will no longer be teaching the Holocaust or Crusades. Because it might make people feel bad. Don't believe me? See the story here. Let's not teach history if it hurts feelings. Scientists trying to show that global warming is not caused by humans and/or is not the hideous danger we keep hearing that is, anyone who says for any reason that homosexuals shouldn't marry, Christians, they are all being systematically shut down, shouted down and called Nazis, hate-mongers, evil, bigots. Love her or hate her, Dr. Laura got absolutely creamed a few years ago for saying that homosexuality is not the biological norm. That's all she said, I personally heard the episode that aired when she said that, and it's true. Put your emotions aside and think about the statement. But she got lambasted up and down the news channels, Internet etc. If you think I'm making this up, try stating one of these opinions in a group go here for more examples. Look at politicians who have said any of these things. Whether you agree with them or not is not the point. If you allow ANY viewpoint to be shut down because someone doesn't like it, what is to stop someone from shutting down yours? We need to protect our right to say and think and believe what we want, and we need to start now. Honestly, I can't recommend a single course of action. I don't know who to tell you to write to, but at the very least be aware. Don't let the fear of being called hateful override your good sense. Please, please, don't look the other way while your rights are being stolen. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.