Common Interests

Emmett Tyrell has a good column out today, that you can read on Townhall.com. Go ahead and read it first.

Tyrell's topic is the free speech clause in the First Amendment, arguably the most important of our Civil Rights. Whether a person is a Conservative, or a Communist, the ability to speak one's mind without fear of Government reprisals is fundamental. The First Amendment protects everyone.

Similarly, the Second Amendment has served to protect all of us from armed revolution. Since no one group has been able to secure for itself a majority of the arms in this nation, all have been forced to get what they want through the political system. (Some may argue that the Civil War was an armed rebellion. In fact, the Civil War represented traditional State on State warfare. The Confederacy had no plans to take over the United States, but rather formed a separate nation with the intent of going their own way. While it is true the Confederacy fired the first shot, that act was provoked by the United States blockading the Charleston harbor. What would Russia do if the US suddenly blockaded St. Petersburg?)

This nation has been blessedly free of the sort of bloody reprisals and retributions that have plagued other countries, not because we are made of better stuff, but because our Bill of Rights has generally been honored on both sides. But now we see more and more that one side, in this case the Left, is trying to silence us through the unFairness Doctrine, hate crime laws, speech codes, and to disarm us through outrageous laws that infringe on our Civil Rights. It seems right now that the Statesmen have been driven from office, leaving a greedy bunch of thugs in their place. Dark and dangerous times ahead. If you believe in God, pray for our country. I know I will be.