We can not yell "Fire" in a theater as if done, it may cause panic, bedlam injury and perhaps with the chance that in the rush to escape, harm may come to those innocent patrons.
But we can say the President has "death squads", will allow abortions, will socialize all American's medical coverage, and even though none of that is true, (and even though, a reform of the health care system will HELP improve the health and welfare of many, many Americans), and even though the DENIAL of that coverage can lead to bedlam, injury and perhaps death, we can still shout "Fire", in the business of health care reform and get away with it.
When is free speech no longer free?
If Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh continue to speak falsehoods, lies and fiction inspiring many illiterate, uneducated, self loathing, bigoted Americans to hate, conspire against the Government, disallow debate, and ramshackle a town hall meeting, when does their behavior, their actions their speech turn from free speech to hate speech?
Why is it when Sarah Palin just decides to make up facts, to find the lowest common denominator in American culture, to even contradict herself in statements she said, she can continue spewing her fiction? She never issues an apology or a reply saying, I have abused the righteous tenant of free speech. My actions may have caused some of you to riot. I just screamed "Fire" in the theater of Joe and Josie American's backyard and I got away wit it.
Why is it when Glenn Beck announces on his Fox Cable show, he wants to poison the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, giggles with glee, mashing his hands together with delight, he is not called upon by the FBI for contrivance of a crime to assassinate an elected official. Why can he yell "Fire" on the political stage and not even be asked to leave the theater?
Why is it when Rush Limbaugh states that President Obama is a Nazi, and is acting like Adolph Hitler and tells his minions of angry, blame the woes of the world on others, bigoted dummies, to start making signs and insisting these lemmings rebel and tear down the third Reich in this country, he is not chastised by authorities for shouting "Fire".
Why is it in this country we are not proactive with a crime; but make it a crime when someone gets hurt. Why do we sometimes insist we be civil and sometimes wait until we become rowdy, belligerent, and someone has to be thrown into panic, because the bedlam is so great and then injury and death may occur to do anything at all?
When is a crime not a crime?
I am worried that the thin line between free speech has blurred into hate speech, and no one seems to be trying to stop the callers from yelling "Fire."
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