Mary Shaw; Senate votes against free speech

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/10062

Senate votes against free speech
by Mary Shaw | Sep 21 2007



Over the past six years, Bush's enablers in Congress have been slowly eroding our Constitutional rights and liberties. But, until now, it was always somewhat masked in fear-inducing terror-related rhetoric.

Their latest stunt, however, is masked much more transparently.

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution condemning the organization MoveOn.org for criticizing General Petraeus for blindly and obediently propagating Bush's failed Iraq war strategy.

In other words, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution against freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.

In other words, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution against the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

72 senators voted in favor of this resolution!

Freedom to dissent is one of the cornerstones of our democracy. In fact, true democracy cannot exist without it, because an informed electorate must have an understanding of the various sides of an issue.

snip//

But now 72 senators, representing both political parties, are telling us that we must shut up and not criticize Bush's Iraq policy or those who implement that policy, lest they condemn us too.

Do they not realize what they've done?

Or do they?

The latter would be even scarier.

[indepat]

1. Proving that the system is too broken to be fixed: too much rampant corruption and venality,

too little understanding of their oaths of office and duties under Article I of the Constitution: if we didn't know better, one would think most in Congress would rather have a Fuhrer than a President.