2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Does free speech come with a price?
The Voice of the Observer
Issue date: 10/9/07 Section: Observations
- Page 1 of 1
The recent lecture given by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad aroused much debate regarding the subject of free speech.
Protests were wide-spread, giving all the reasons why he shouldn't have been invited-- but why?
His name has been coming up more and more on news feeds- more so than Britney Spears and the Boston Red Sox. There's something to be said for that.
With suspicion growing and tensions developing, why picket the idea of having the man in the center of it all here- explaining himself and his country?
Free speech goes both ways- and it seems ridiculous for a such a verbal society with a powerful media to squelch the idea of Ahmadinejad giving a public speech.
You don't have to agree, but at least listen rather than forming judgements that are a cut-and-paste collage of biased CNN reports, glimpses of headlines, and word of mouth reiterations, with the word 'nuclear' thrown in for the scare factor.
We believe firmly in the freedom of expression no matter how contrary that expression may be to the conventional and popular view. We must continue to protect that right, and never stop asking questions.
Barry Komisaurak, an R-N professor, has been jousting with readers over his published view on 9/11, that analyzes the holes in the 9/11 Commission and discrepancies in facts.
Our website has seen such a huge influx in readership spanning from Brussels to Beijing, Oregon to Virginia- all wanting to get a word in edge-wise. Over 200 people have posted comments on stories bearing his work and research.
Some, though, have called Komisaurak's admissions "unpatriotic," especially coming in the month the attacks took place.
But why has it become so unpatriotic to ask questions? How can you be labeled a 'conspiracy theorist,' a 'hippie,' a 'liberal,' or an 'infidel' when really it's long-since been your civic duty to do so?
In Norah Jones' song "My Dear Country," she sings about the election, the candidates, and the letdown that came afterwards.
After much crafty lyrics that take a slice at the current administration, she says, "I love the things that you've given me/I cherish you my dear country/But sometimes I don't understand/The way we play/I love the things that you've given me/And most of all that I am free/To have a song that I can sing/On election day."
As juvenile as it might sound, as a nation, we have been not playing fairly or fighting fairly- even giving people the benefit of the doubt. Innocent before proven guilty?
Before Ahmadinejad even got to the microphone, he was insulted and berated by Columbia University's president.
Like him or hate him, but why restrict him (or anyone) from exercising one of our sacred amendments?
Why free for us and costly for anyone else?
Protests were wide-spread, giving all the reasons why he shouldn't have been invited-- but why?
His name has been coming up more and more on news feeds- more so than Britney Spears and the Boston Red Sox. There's something to be said for that.
With suspicion growing and tensions developing, why picket the idea of having the man in the center of it all here- explaining himself and his country?
Free speech goes both ways- and it seems ridiculous for a such a verbal society with a powerful media to squelch the idea of Ahmadinejad giving a public speech.
You don't have to agree, but at least listen rather than forming judgements that are a cut-and-paste collage of biased CNN reports, glimpses of headlines, and word of mouth reiterations, with the word 'nuclear' thrown in for the scare factor.
We believe firmly in the freedom of expression no matter how contrary that expression may be to the conventional and popular view. We must continue to protect that right, and never stop asking questions.
Barry Komisaurak, an R-N professor, has been jousting with readers over his published view on 9/11, that analyzes the holes in the 9/11 Commission and discrepancies in facts.
Our website has seen such a huge influx in readership spanning from Brussels to Beijing, Oregon to Virginia- all wanting to get a word in edge-wise. Over 200 people have posted comments on stories bearing his work and research.
Some, though, have called Komisaurak's admissions "unpatriotic," especially coming in the month the attacks took place.
But why has it become so unpatriotic to ask questions? How can you be labeled a 'conspiracy theorist,' a 'hippie,' a 'liberal,' or an 'infidel' when really it's long-since been your civic duty to do so?
In Norah Jones' song "My Dear Country," she sings about the election, the candidates, and the letdown that came afterwards.
After much crafty lyrics that take a slice at the current administration, she says, "I love the things that you've given me/I cherish you my dear country/But sometimes I don't understand/The way we play/I love the things that you've given me/And most of all that I am free/To have a song that I can sing/On election day."
As juvenile as it might sound, as a nation, we have been not playing fairly or fighting fairly- even giving people the benefit of the doubt. Innocent before proven guilty?
Before Ahmadinejad even got to the microphone, he was insulted and berated by Columbia University's president.
Like him or hate him, but why restrict him (or anyone) from exercising one of our sacred amendments?
Why free for us and costly for anyone else?
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