When Free Speech Isn’t By Marilyn Penn
http://politicalmavens.com/
We’ve seen the demolition of free speech on college campuses where concern for student sensitivity is so great that in addition to speech codes, we now have trigger warnings to give students time to prepare for the trauma of the words that are about to appear in their readings. (Think nigger in Huckleberry Finn) We’ve seen free speech die the death of politically correct sanctimony as one public figure after another has been forced to apologize for uttering a remark hurtful to some group under the liberal protectorate.
Now, with Donald Trump’s offensive comments about Mexican illegals and John McCain, we are seeing the voluntary, pre-emptive surrender of large companies and corporations such as Macy’s and various network and cable channels to media-generated pressure. What connection could Macy’s possibly have with Trump’s remarks? Does it even sell the hair-product that keeps his comb-forward from toppling into his eyes? Hispanics who are offended by Trump would logically not vote for him were he to ever get the nomination, but would they favor Macy’s over Walmart because of Macy’s boycott of him? Surely most people shop where the prices and service are best, not where the corporation makes vain, unnecessary gestures of disapproval towards political wannabes.
Donald Trump is what free speech was created for – someone who will spout unpopular (to some) or controversial comments designed to arouse some outrage. Then, as the famous quote goes, sunlight will disinfect the wrong-headedness of those ideas by open discussion and contradiction of their demerits. Why is any boycott necessary here? Donald Trump is unlikely to win the Republican nomination so that even if many people agree with him, there is little danger of his assuming political office. By contrast, Al Sharpton has said and done at least twice as many offensive things as Trump but his tv show remains intact as does his ability to shop at Macy’s and be the most frequent repeat visitor to the White House of any individual not employed there.
The serial rush to “fire” the Donald is a sad reminder of how expensive it can be to not march in lockstep with this year’s fashionable thinking – that is the prevailing thought endorsed by the liberal media and their academic siblings in conformity. I don’t like Donald Trump but I will champion his right to be outspoken – whether wrong or right – as a sign of what’s best in our country. And I will take that far more seriously now that so many are vying for the honor of punishing the exercise of that all-important, formerly free, freedom of speech
Comments are closed.
