Saturday, September 27, 2008

Signs of theTime?

Why is the University of Mary Washington inhibiting free speech at today's Obama-Biden rally?

9/27/2008

NOT ALL COUNTRIES guarantee their citizens the right to virtually unbridled freedom of speech. The United States does. Would someone please tell the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama? And the dozing guardians of liberty at the University of Mary Washington?

Mr. Obama, the Democratic nominee for president, is scheduled to speak at a rally at the university today. The public is invited to this forum, on property it, the public, owns. However, signs and banners will not be allowed, according to the organizers and compliant campus officials. Suddenly, UMW is a First Amendment-Free, or at least a First Amendment-Crippled, Zone, subject to the self-serving preferences of politicos. Why does an Obama rally--or a McCain rally or a Nader rally--justify taking a little off the top of Americans' most fundamental rights?

A UMW spokeswoman says that the Obama campaign required the sign-and-banner ban. That campaign tells us that the ban is for "security" reasons. But a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, responsible for protecting presidential candidates, says that the service has no objection to signs at rallies, provided that no "part of the sign could be used as a weapon"--e.g., a heavy metal pole or a sharpened stick. Finally, the McCain campaign tells us, "We encourage people to make signs at our events."


The First Amendment guarantees the freedoms of religion, speech, the press, peaceable assembly, petition of the government. Will one who aspires to the title Defender of the Constitution begin inhibiting these First Freedoms even before he is in office--at a public university?

1 comment:

kalster said...

This is test of the 1st Amendment.

Sarah Palin belongs to a cult that believes in a religous activism called the "Third Wave", The Assembly of God church denounced this practice as heretical in 1949 and 1990. "Third Wave" believes they are spiritually superior to everyone else and will lead the world in the end times. Oh boy I can't wait...
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/9/13/1538/09770

Are you American enough to leave this post up on this bog?