May 30 2004
“Hate” speech
This is what it has come to in the United States of America…
Dozens of art lovers and First Amendment defenders turned out Saturday outside a San Francisco gallery to bolster the flagging spirits of owner Lori Haigh, who has been under siege for the past two weeks for displaying a controversial painting depicting the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers.
The supporters had hoped to persuade Haigh, 39, to reconsider her decision to close the Capobianco Gallery, which came after she was threatened, spat upon and, most recently, punched in the face for showing Guy Colwell’s painting of torture. Gathered on the sidewalk outside the small studio, her supporters talked of vigils, petitions and even providing volunteer security to help keep the gallery going.
And this is most of the reason…
Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman said Kerry’s “hate-filled attacks” won’t help prevent future terror attacks or help win the guerrilla war that has followed the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Anything you say or do to disagree with the misguided policies of George W. Bush is labeled “hate speech” by the right wing of the Republican party. Free speech and expression have gone by the wayside. We even have 14 year old kids being arrested at school for drawing anti-Bush cartoons, as happened recently in Walnut Creek, California.
If these things can happen in the San Franciso Bay area of California, one of the most liberal areas of the country, what’s it like in your neck of the woods?
Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the day we pause to honor those soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. Yet every day the Republicans remain in charge of this country, more of those freedoms disappear.
