Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Blacklisting, here we come!

Back in the 40's and 50's( http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/museum/blist2.htm ), a paranoia spread throughout the country, centralizing and culminating in Hollywood.  Movies have been made about it, and it has become a thing of the past that almost seems too horrible to be true.  In our government's frenzy to weed out dissidents such as socialists, communist, and Nazis, honest and innocent people were forever ruined, and their careers did not recover.  
Of course, it's easy to think that would never happen again here.  We don't give into fear-mongering, and we are a tolerance-driven society.  Anyone of any background, creed, color, religion, political belief, etc., is welcome here.  We are encouraged to not step on anyone's toes, and we must not make someone feel bad for their life choices. 
But alas, we are finding that that is a double standard.  We are to be tolerant, but we are not being tolerated.  We are being labeled ourselves.  We are now the "dissidents", the "subversives", and the ones to be feared.  Blacklisting is not here yet, but it's pre-cursors are.  Once again, our constitutional rights are being ignored and abused.  
On April 15th, Tax Day, there were peaceful gatherings across the country to protest the misuse of our tax dollars, and to ask for accountability in our government.  
Those attendees, and many more people across the nation who are standing up for what is morally right, are being labeled as "extremists" and "possibly terrorists".  That means me.  I supported the Tax Day tea parties, and I also am pro-life and pro-family.  According to the Homeland Security website http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000009871.cfm , that's what we are.
Hmmm....does that sound right to you?  Does that get your motor runnin', even just a little bit?  I don't know about you, but I don't like being called a terrorist, or an extremist, just because I exercise my constitutional right to freedom of speech, and the last time I checked, opinion was allowed, too.  
Think we would never return to those black days in history where people were blacklisted for as little as attending a humanitarian meeting in college?  Think again, my friend.  It could happen to you....

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
- Edmund Burke

1 comment:

  1. I think living in Utah, we're bound to personally feel the affects more slowly than we would elsewhere. (Particularly those of us that don't get out of Utah as often!)

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