Disagree With Democrats? Keep It to Yourself . . .Or Else

Since the election of Obama, liberals have gone after their political dissenters.  First came White House attempts, fended off by the media, to declare Fox News a non news outlet, banishing them from the press corps. Then came years of the left's near fetish level fascination with "sedition."  Tea Parties, Republicans, libertarians, nearly everyone associated with opposing this president gets tarred with the word. "Sedition" is the idea that speech that disrupts government functions should be criminal.  Twice in American history have sedition laws been passed, both during wars with Great Powers.

The scandal over improper IRS harassment of groups opposed to the current federal government will not subside, despite the administration's best efforts.

Worst of all, last fall, a Washington Times  reporter uncovering problems with the air marshal service had her research materials illegally seized by the Maryland State Police and turned over to the Department of Homeland Security.

Last week brought more stories of liberals and left wing attempts to chill speech or silence opponents.

Public outcry forced the Federal Communications Commission to back off of a plan to send monitors into broadcast and print media newsrooms to ask "invasive" questions about story selection and coverage.  The FCC is mandated to regularly submit reports about potential barriers to small operators and entrepreneurship.  Its questionnaire included many questions about journalism decisions, which could have a chilling effect on issue coverage. Many experts agree this violates the First Amendment, at least in spirit.

And finally on the state level, as West Virginia Metro News's Hoppy Kercheval puts it, some Democrats "can't stand a feisty Republican."  West Virginia's elected Republican attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, faces the possible stripping of his constitutionally mandated powers. Like others, his "crime" seems to be strenuous opposition to the efforts and plans of the Obama Administration.  Morrisey has been an outspoken opponent of infringements on the Second Amendment and EPA attacks on coal and power.

House Republicans and others noted that the state constitution and recent case law forbid the state legislature from doing precisely what House Democrats are trying.

The pattern is pretty clear.  Speak out against Obama, oppose his administration's plans, and his allies try to bring the power of government down against you, usually illegally.  Why can't America have bipartisan discussions and compromises?  Partly because of this dynamic.

Another Democrat Believes in Bringing Back Legal Sedition

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/22/grayson-wants-critic-jailed-claiming-constituent/

Is this really what the Democratic Party stands for? Several months ago they wanted citizens to report on their friends, family, and neighbors if they heard peopel criticize the health care deform plans. Others favored passing regulations that would destroy conservative talk radio shows. Now an elected member of Congress wants to attack the free speech of a Florida citizen who dared to parody his website.

Is this really the party that Thomas Jefferson and James Madison founded? First they trample the rights of the states, then the citizens. Some of them have no concern for the Bill of Rights, nor do they believe in natural rights' legal ideals. People like this gentleman want your money, the power to control you, and for you to kindly shut up while they are doing it. Of course he wants a citizen put in jail for five years for making a parody of his website, all the while calling female professionals whores and comparing Republicans to Nazis.

Most people understand that Republicans labor under a double standard in politics and the media. I would hope that no Republican would want to jail another citizen for such a trivial thing, or even consider it a crime.

When satire becomes a crime, thousands of actors and commedians may have to find somewhere else to live.