Free Speech in America?

As conservatives, we cherish the Constitution. The Constitution arguably formed the most perfect union ever to exist, and has established the guiding principles upon which this nation has functioned for over 200 years. It remains as relevant today as it did during the days of the Founding Fathers.

Conservatives respect the Constitution, and believe that our government should operate within it. This topic deserves an extensive discussion about what this means and how conservatives differ from liberals dramatically on this point. What I want to discuss briefly today, however, is one of the most fundamental aspects of the Constitution -- Freedom of Speech. Liberals are frequently viewed as the most ardent free speech advocates. Liberal groups like the ACLU rush to court to protect even the most radical speech. Yet, are liberals truly advocates of free speech, even when they disagree with it?

Much evidence exists to argue that they are not. One very recent example occurred at Prince George's Community College in Maryland. An instructor at the school -- Ayanna Watson -- allegedly asked students to write about the merits of Barack Obama. When one of her students, Gloria Alfonzo, voiced differences with Obama, Alfonzo says that the instructor demanded to know whether she was a Republican. When Alfonzo responded "yes," the trouble began. Her classmates, according to Alfonzo, stood up, started pointing at her and repeatedly yelled racially charged expletives (e.g., [expletive] white girl, and daughter of a [expletive]). The instructor allegedly did nothing. When reporters went to the instructor's home for further information on the story, the instructor did not answer but her political beliefs were certainly on display. She boasted a large Barack Obama sign on her front door. The traumatic experience has caused Alfanzo to withdraw from the school.

Unfortunately, Alfonzo's experience is repeated in colleges all across the country -- albeit perhaps not to the serious degree. Liberals dominate campuses and there are repeated stories of conservative students being intimated by both professors and fellow classmates for speaking in favor of Republicans or Conservatives. Even when I was in school years ago, liberals repeatedly took efforts to silence views with which they disagreed -- from staging vocal demonstrations against Conservative speakers to ripping down promotional signs for events sponsored by Conservative groups. Over the years, however, this push to silence critics has reached new levels and is evident even among the highest levels of the Democratic party.

In the late days of the Presidential race, the Obama campaign took unprecedented steps to "punish" anyone who asked tough questions or voiced disagreement with Obama. Take for example, the Florida news anchor, Barbara West, who posed tough questions to Joe Biden. The Obama campaign immediately reacted by canceling the station's already-scheduled interview with Michelle Obama, and by digging up and disseminating what they considered "dirt" about the anchor and her husband. The same thing happened with the now famous "Joe the Plumber" who simply showed up at an Obama event and raised questions about Obama's tax plans.

Going forward, liberals have advocated for reinstatement of the "Fairness Doctrine." While they attempt to wrap this in terms that make it easier to sell to the American people, the biggest effect of this doctrine will be to shut down Conservative talk radio and thereby silence some of liberals' biggest critics.

Conservatives must remain true to the Constitution. We must fight every attempt by Liberals - on our college campuses, in our communities, and within the press - to silence our voices. This is one of the most important issues domestically for Conservatives, and one that we must not loose sight of.Av