“It is our feeling that this is only the beginning.  We must have a broad discussion on what is permitted and not permitted on the airwaves…”---Al Sharpton

            These words should frighten us all.  What happened to Imus is not censorship, only another Sharpton/Jackson racial shakedown of another American company.  But Reverend Al’s words are yet another societal sign of something very bad for anyone enjoying First Amendment protection. 

            The power of Sharpton and Jackson comes from the media.  The power of the media comes from the First Amendment.  But the elite media seem unconcerned about the meaning behind Sharpton’s words.  Keith Olbermann of MSNBC has been good enough to make a list of radio and television personalities that need to be purged from American debate and ideas, including Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and the half of the county who do not share his political leanings. 

Once again the left and the media elite (they all look the same to me) are more than willing to define just who deserves free speech for the good of the people.  The Great Fourth Estate stands oblivious to the reemergence of the ‘Fairness Doctrine’ and the snowball gradually gaining momentum and headed for congress.  The Congress of the United States is never afraid to trash the Constitution when in pursuit of a righteous end.  And never afraid to hop a bandwagon when writing a badly conceived, self destructive law designed to pander to whatever emotional “outrage” happens to be on television.  But someone will want to yield the political weapon of defining “racist” and other offensive words.  Golly, who would be in a good position to do that?

            And what a weapon this will be.  Here is the instruction manual:

Thank you for purchasing Uncle Joe’s stain remover.  Uncle Joe’s removes conservatives, libertarians, and any stain opposing the State. 

To Apply:

Opposing affirmative action is racist, therefore illegal thought.

Opposing illegal immigration is racist, therefore illegal thought.

All conservative commentators are racist, therefore banned.   Especially that Rush Limbaugh guy.

Apply as many times as needed to eliminate stains.  Simply define opposing ideas as racist and watch them melt away!

Warning! Harmful to comedians.

            Utter the word “racist” enough times and it loses any original meaning altogether.  Imus had barely finished uttering his ridiculous remark when politicians were running to the media.  The media did its part by demanding comments from presidential candidates.  Why would that be?  How long before these political creatures begin the one-up contest over who can propose a law that best repairs this “outrage” and prevents any group from ever being insulted again?  And who defines acceptable thoughts and debate?  Sharpton?  Jackson?  Nancy Pelosi?  Who is at fault for bringing us to the brink of violating (again—see McCain Feingold) the most important Amendment to our Constitution?

            We are at fault.  What happened to us?  Have Americans always expressed “pain” when insulted?  We don’t protest that we are “scarred for life” because of the words of a doddering old man…do we?  Surely these women of Rutgers basketball didn’t scale the mountain of the NCAA tournament just to have their lives ruined by the words of a washed up geriatric.  Is the lesson we want the young to learn from the likes of Sharpton and Jackson that mere words can hurt us in this way?  What happened to “sticks and stones”?  This accomplishment of Rutgers basketball far outweighs anything this moron has ever achieved in his miserable life of insults.  Why not simply say so?  We are handing over power to others to protect ourselves from injury to self esteem.  How pathetic is that?  Do we really want a generation so spineless that they are incapable of standing up and saying, “up yours you washed up old geezer”, without being afraid of the AARP jumping up to protect the feelings of old geezers?  I am not exactly of towering stature; will I have a case for a civil rights violation if someone calls me a garden gnome? 

            We cannot possibly defend ourselves in war if we burst into tears when someone calls us ugly.  We also cannot maintain a cohesive nation when we are too busy attacking each other, demanding “justice” for our injured feelings and walking on glass instead of debating our survival openly in the arena of ideas created by the First Amendment.  A First Amendment that makes no mention whatsoever of the thickness of one’s skin when exposed to speech.  We all can join Rutgers in laughing as Imus loses his job because the market no longer wants him.  But we are standing at that very special line once again and great care must be taken with the next step.