I posted this over at Grizzly Groundswell and thought I should share this with my fellow First Districters. It is not First District related, but it is about Free Speech and I think free speech is interest of everyone.

This is a question I have been asking myself in the past few weeks to a month. Most of my life I have heard about “freedom of speech.” I never really knew what this was. I had always been led to believe this was some sort of liberal rhetoric. But only recently have I figured out that this is the complete opposite. The liberals do believe in freedom of speech, only when it suits their needs. They don’t want to hear anything that doesn’t jive with their agendas.

A few case in points could be alleged “hate crimes.” They have no problem with gay day parades, where people dress up in all kinds of funny outfits and degrading Jesus and Christianity. But if pastors, priests or rabbis speak out against homosexuality, it is a “hate crime” even when they are reciting from religious books. Then of course you have the alleged “Fairness Doctrine” where they want to regulate what is broadcast on the radio. When Conservatives and Christians speak out about Islam and/or Islamic terrorism the libs accuse them of Islamophobia.

Since I started blogging this was a thought that was in the back of my mind, but I never really payed much attention to it. I started out blogging about the presidential election and not much about free speech issues. Most of my current information I get is from conservative sources, whether that be online news or other blogs, or talk radio. Usually when I have the TV on it is for background noise.

When I was blogging the ‘08 race bloggers who would be for a specific candidate would get upset if someone from an online news source would say something negative about their candidate and not only would they refuse to read that persons writings, but also boycott the entire news page. They would feel the same way about a well known person from TV or religion. They would rally people to write in to these people and tell them to not say anything bad about their candidate. I have nothing against supporters getting upset about someone saying anything bad about their candidate. I understand where they are coming from. At the same time, I have learned to just let it roll, like water off a ducks back.

When I hear or read something said by someone who I normally read or listen to say something I don’t agree with I just figure that that is that person’s opinion. I get scared of people who agree with everything a certain personality says. Many libs out there say that all Conservatives and Republicans blindly follow Rush Limbaugh. They claim that we allow Rush to do our thinking. There may be some people out there who do that. But they are idiots. Most people who listen to Rush already have their own beliefs before listening to him. They might get some of their info from Rush, but they don’t let him think for them. I for one listen to Rush and others, Glenn Beck is my fave. When I hear something I did not know from these guys, I research more about the issue discussed, if it peaks my interest. After finding out about the issue, I then form my own opinion. Most times I find myself agreeing, but not always. Most Conservatives I know are like this.

The reason for this post is that about very early morning on that transition between Monday night and Tuesday morning I had found a quick snippet from Radio Praha Online, an online Czech news service. The snippet was about the National Party in the Czech Republic is offering to show Geert Wilders fifteen minute film about Islam and the Koran.

In case you have not been following, Geert Wilders is a member of the Dutch parliament who produced a documentary claiming that Islam and the Koran is fascist. No other details about the film has been released. But everyone is afraid to allow him to show the film. Dutch officials are afraid it could spark violence, so he will not be able to show it in theaters. He was going to show it on a website, but the server has banned him from showing it. He has received many death threats. I had posted about recent protests in Amsterdam, Holland on Michigan Redneck II.

On Glenn Beck’s Tuesday program he talked to Brad Thor, author of “The Last Patriot,” about the server Network Solutions that pulled Mr. Wilders’ ad announcing the movie, Fitna. Glenn offered to show the movie on his show. In the Czech article I mentioned above the Czech National Party believes that this is a film that all Europeans need to see. That is why they offering to show Mr. Wilders’ film on their website, plus offer him asylum in an undisclosed area in the Czech Republic. I am proud of the National Party. It shows that not all Europeans are flaming liberals. Plus, while my loyalties are to the U.S., I consider Czechs my European cousins, as I have ancestry there.

When I posted about the protests I received a comment from a blogger that was for the protests. This person didn’t say anything except for leaving a link to his post on this issue. I checked out his post. He and others are calling Mr. Wilders a Nazi and facist. On his post he had images that were negative against Mr. Wilders. Since he was not calling for violence, I did allow his comment to post. Like I said I believe in free speech. I believe that everyone has the right to speak about what is on their mind, regardless if I agree with what they say or if it is even wrong.

My thoughts on the protesting and calling for bans on the film are that if these people have the right to protest and say what they think, then Mr. Wilders has the right to show his film. For those who are upset, they need to wait for the film to come out. If what he says about Islam is wrong, then the Muslims can point out what he said is wrong and show proof. The truth will prevail. If it is all a lie, what is the problem. Possibly the protesters are afraid that he will reveal truths that they won’t like.

For Dutch officials to not allow him to show the movie in theaters is fear. They should not allow this fear to dictate. I understand their fear, but when one lets fear not take you forward that’s when society goes backward. When the good people cower in fear, the bad people take over. That’s when things will get really bad. Europeans, and everyone the world over, need to stand up for what is right. We need to show the bad people that we will not allow them to dictate what we do or say.

I have talked about free speech and will continue to, be it in support of Geert Wilders, support of the Danish cartoons or support of Tibet.

While the issue of Geert Wilders’ film that inspired me to right about free speech and it is “something that is far away” that kind of thinking reminds me of the post World War II poem;

First They Came for the Jews

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemölle
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