Our free country witnessed a parade of cowards lining up against free speech during the week before the Fourth of July. Donald Trump’s remarks on illegal immigrants that preceded this pageant of anti-Americanism only repeated what the government has warned us about and what Obama had already used to turn prosecutorial discretion into freedom for illegals (see: Criminal Immigrant Policy is Non-Legislative Amnesty). Why then do we have such an uproar over telling the truth in a country where free speech is supposed to be one of our most cherished values, not something to be condemned by mass action out of fear and misplaced political correctness?
A free country with very strict limits
Living in a free country doesn’t mean what it used to. It doesn’t have much to do with what stands behind the fireworks Americans will turn out for tonight. It doesn’t mean we are free to express our beliefs without fear of punishment, but instead of being locked up for what we believe our free speech and dissent are silenced in other ways in the workplace, the classroom, and the public arena.
Trump only repeated what ICE already told us
We know that criminal illegal immigrants are a problem because the government reports on its efforts to kick them out:
ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security.1
We also know that the majority of illegals come from Mexico, including these two murder and rape suspects apprehended by ICE.2 Why, then, is liberal America so offended when a public figure simply repeats facts instead of reinforcing falsehoods? When Obama talked about using our resources to go after criminal illegals it was celebrated as a victory because it halted the deportation of what he called law-abiding immigrants. When a member of the political opposition exercised his right to free speech, the cowardly left turned to economic sanctions to get the message out that dissent and independent thinking will not be tolerated.
Free speech means shut up and agree
Wherever you stand on the issue, it’s hard not to find a bit of humor in a fundamentally American throwback like the Miss USA pageant being punished over illegal immigration. We went through the same anti-American stupidity that called for boycotts during Arizona’s battle over SB 1070. Sadly, we are even hearing damnation from the political right. As Breitbart.com reported, even Republican presidential hopeful and opponent Marco Rubio has weighed in against Trump.
Donald Trump will survive without Macy’s. Some of us will remember what happened and will never patronize the store chain again. It’s not as if we are short on options. We can also do without the likes of NBC and its affiliates. One of the great things about media in this evolving century is that you can watch what you want when you want to watch it. The growth of Netflix and similar outlets continues to hammer nails into the coffins of television networks that used to be mainstays. That’s how things work in a free country. We are free to patronize what we choose. The same tactics used against Trump can be applied to any anti-American voices that prefer to support illegal immigrants and what they represent instead of the values this country was founded on. This could be how we will celebrate our free country on Independence Days to come, by remembering how we were forced to punish free speech to ensure its defense.
Worst Political News Story This Week published July 4, 2015.
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