MaverickVoice.com

Have you ever heard of the First Amendment? For those of you who haven’t read it, it reads like this:

 “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

So, what does this mean? What does it do? Well, allow me to simplify it for you. This amendment tells the Government what it CANNOT do. The Government CANNOT force you to practice any one religion, nor can it stop you from practicing the religion that you choose. The Government CANNOT stop individuals from gathering as a group, and it CANNOT stop those same individuals from challenging the Government if they are wronged.

 But these Powerful and Important characteristics pale in comparison to this simple fact: The Government CANNOT stop you from speaking out against it, and it CANNOT stop the press from challenging its authority.

 So, what’s the point of this blog? Right now, the Obama Administration is targeting a single News Outlet because it doesn’t like the NEWS and OPINIONS that it has been presenting. And what NEWS and OPINIONS, shall we ask, does our current Presidential Administration NOT want aired in public?

 Here’s a few tasty selections: Former Green Jobs “Special Advisor” Van Jones is an avowed Communist. Community organization group ACORN has been associated with criminal activity, including voter fraud, tax fraud and embezzlement. Interim White House Communications Director Anita Dunn has a pronounced attachment to the philosophies of Revolutionary Communist Chinese Dictator (and MASS MURDERER) Mao Zedong.

 Then you have the “Tea Party” protestors of out-of-control Government spending, controversial policies relating to Health Care Reform, Cap & Trade Legislation, and the military actions in Iraq & Afghanistan.

 Overall, those on the “Left” side of the political aisle don’t seem to care right now because the target, if you haven’t figured it out, is FOX NEWS. And, yes, Fox News leans to the right. And, yes, Fox News airs controversial hosts like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly.  But what those on the “Left” don’t seem to understand is that, if the Government succeeds in silencing Fox News, it weakens the position of other news agencies to defend themselves against Government control.

 What would happen if CNN were to uncover “distasteful” facts about the current administration and aired it? Would the Government seek to silence them? What if MSNBC had discovered some secret plot involving George W. Bush and voter fraud? Shouldn’t they be encouraged to air that discovery, even though it would have been damning to that administration? Isn’t that what the Press is supposed to do? Don’t forget: it was the Press that brought down the Nixon Administration for that very same transgression.

 But the argument is that the Conservative Bias of Fox News influences the news that is reported, and that argument is completely and totally accurate. The conclusions that are presented based upon the available facts are CONSERVATIVE in nature, just as the conclusions presented on CNN, MSNBC and all of the network news agencies tend to be Liberally Biased. Should, then, those outlets also be censured so that only the facts are presented, and no conclusions? What would be the point of that?

 Facts without context are meaningless. For example, when I went to my doctor to have my blood pressure checked, the nurse gave me the numbers: 156/100. Guess what: I had absolutely NO IDEA what that meant. I had to ask if that was high or low. I didn’t know. Facts presented without context do not give you enough information to know what to do with it. (By the way, 156/100 is pretty high, but I’ve gotten it under control with medication. Thank you for asking.) By presenting conclusions based upon the available facts, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and all of the news agencies are able to place those facts into meaningful context, and, because of the diversity of networks available to air these facts and opinions, all sides of the argument are clearly presented to the public for consideration. Based upon their stated objectives, I believe that the Obama Administration would prefer to only have the support of the Liberally Biased Media, but it should be noted that the ratings and viewership of Fox News dwarfs the other networks, combined. That must count for something.

 The unfortunate fact is that the Obama Administration has adopted a “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell” philosophy. “Don’t Ask” what the President’s Special Advisors believe in, and “Don’t Tell” the Public about it. “Don’t Ask” what the Congress is writing into law, and “Don’t Tell” the Public how it will affect their lives. “Don’t Ask” what you can do for your country, and “Don’t Tell” the Congress that you disagree with what they are doing.

 I’ve tried very, very hard over the past 10 months to play Devil’s Advocate on these issues. Yes, I’m opposed to the “Public Option” or “Single Payer” plans regarding Health Care Reform, but I’ve always TRIED to keep an open mind regarding the motivation of the individuals involved in the argument. No, I didn’t vote for Barack Hussein Obama, but I’ve always TRIED to be respectful of his office. And, yes, I’ve very strongly supported the First Amendment to Our Constitution, even for news outlets that I feel are liberally biased and share opinions that are inherently different from my own. But the targeting of any one news agency does nothing more than prove the conspiratorial theories espoused by the more radical individuals who cry out “IMPEACH” at every turn.

 Mr. President, here is my version of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell: Don’t EVER ask me for my support again, and Don’t EVER tell me what to do. YOU WORK FOR ME, and for every CITIZEN of this NATION! You are only the “Most Powerful Man on the Planet” if we ALLOW you to have that power, and you are dangerously close to losing that Power and Respect. I caution you to tread lightly: The Power you seek to wield will consume you. You are not, and will not be permitted to become, a Dictator. Our Constitution does not allow it, and our Population will not permit it.

In the words of George Washington: “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like a fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” The time is now for us to remember our responsibility to contain that fire, or risk all we know to be consumed by it.

Filed under: Politics by T. Edwin Perry