The way I see it is this. A lot of Americans died to protect our freedom, to protect our right to free speech. Now, if that's not good enough for you, keep your mouth shut. Better, still, if you don't like it here, whu don't you leave. Maybe, then you would learn to appreciate how precious freedom is.
so to have freedom of speech, we can only keep it if we don't use it? non sequitor
Freedom of Speech only belongs to the one with the biggest gun!
oppress the masses for freedom!
Billy won't be able to keep "his" mouth shut, he's got his foot in it!
Did I just hear a contradiction?
c.i.
You are a doubleplusgood prole, BillyFalcon.
Doublethink is never thinkcrime.
And remember:
"War is Peace"
"Freedom is Slavery"
"Ignorance is Strenght"
I know you love me.
Big Brother
It's a spoof, a parody, a satire.
I was trying to express the illogical reasoning (ala "1984") of those who believe anti-war protests should not be allowed. In spite of it being a spoof, it was taken seriously by some of you. That gives me the insight that it is hard to satirize or spoof ideas which are emotional and detached from reasonableness.
I hesitate to point out that I am a veteran who enlisted in time of war.
Why? Because a veteran is a citizen like anyone else. But it seems necessary to point up the fact that not all veterans think alike. Everytime I hear someone express the opinion that the anti-war protesters ought to be arrested and jailed or worse, I get angry. I wonder if being in the service was a waste of time. The irony of saying that in order to support our troops you must forfeit some of your rights is that it makes us step by step more like our enemy.
Well now,
you got your "best" foot out of your mouth, and firmly planted "forward";
congrats. (we can't all be right, all the time, it would be beyond exhausting!)
BillyFalcon, Points well taken. The problem is that some people can't seem to see the forest for the trees. What's more dangerous is how this administration is slowly but surely limiting our freedoms. Many Arab Americans now fear our government for good cause. They thought they escaped that tyranny when they came to America. c.i.
See you at the Chesnut Tree Cafe, then, BillyFalcon.
I think those claiming that dissent should be quieted are out of line. Free speech is 24/7.
That said, it is a shame that those who are doing the lion's share of the speaking these days have so very little that is remotely intelligent or rational to say.
But then, if we required it to be intelligent and rational, that would be a limitation, which would mean it wasn't free.
FWIW - Those of you demonstrating for peace and complaining that no one is listening might consider that--in some cases at least--it is because you have nothing remotely interesting to say. While cartoons and clever word-play surely get you a lot of high-fives from those who think as you do, I would hope your goal is to make an impact on those who do not. If so, you need to do some serious rethink on your methods and your messages. (Of course, in all candor I suspect that you do in fact make your little posters and banners purely to impress each other. But hey, that's just one man's opinion.)
