If You Can't Kill Free Speech One Way--Try Another

Even before taking office, Barack Obama has been attempting to squelch free speech. During the presidential election, he attempted to use his bully boy lawyers to silence any criticism of him. After assuming office, he continued the pattern, including trying the route of getting citizens to snitch on each other via a special White House e-mail address. So far, he has been largely unsuccessful, but it doesn't stop him from trying.

But in one area he has been quite successful. While we were all distracted by his appearance at the Cavalcade of Crazies known as the United Nations, he succeeded in quietly driving the first of the nails into the coffin of free speech. Since a direct attack on the First Amendment at home would destroy even the Messiah of Mealy-Mouths, try the back door at the United Nations where freedom of speech is of no concern at all.

It took a couple of political maneuvers to get there, but get there he did. First, he had to undo the work of Demon Bush who refused to consort with the tyrants on the U.N. Human Rights Council. As his cover, he declared that engagement is better than non-engagement, so he gave legitimacy to the Council by ending America's refusal to participate. He even went so far as to attempt to get a seat for the U.S. on the Council, so he could "change the Council from within." He moved a little too late to accomplish that (yet), but he has freedom-loving friends in the U.N. Using his position as Chairman of the Security Council as leverage, he got the Egyptian delegation to sponsor his measure to limit speech in the Human Rights Council (HRC).

Very few Americans ever thought that Obama would join in the suppression of free speech so beloved of Euroweenies and Islamic tyrants, and even fewer thought he would lead the charge. On October 1, 2009, the Obama resolution (introduced by the Egyptian government) was immediately adopted by the HRC. Like most communists and other liars, the president entitled the draft resolution "Freedom of Opinion and Expression." It is exactly the opposite of freedom.

Here's some of the applicable wording: "Nation states must take effective measures to address and combat any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence." That's exactly the kind of prosecution Mark Steyn faced in Canada awhile back. When queried on why they would suppress free speech, the chairman of the Canadian Human Rights Commission said, "free speech is an American concept, which we do not find of any particular importance." And all because Steyn pointed out that there are radical Islamists determined to commit terror worldwide in the name of Allah.

It further condemns "negative stereotyping of religions and racial groups." And it states that "the members should also be aware of the need to exhibit a concern for the media's moral and social responsibilities and how the media could assist in the 'voluntary' enforcement of combating intolerance. This should come as no surprise, but that is almost precisely the wording that the Organization of Islamic Conferences used in its attempts to "combat defamation of religions." That includes banning the "defaming" of religions outright, speech critical of religion no matter how accurate, and forbidding discussion of any possible negative consequences resulting from the implementation of religious beliefs, most particularly Sharia law. Until Obama gave them a helping hand, the Council had not passed such measures.

Our Founding Fathers declared freedom of speech to be a fundamental human right. Obama and his Middle Eastern friends have declared the suppression of free speech to be a fundamental human right. Anyone here wonder why I've suggested on numerous occasions that Obama has never read the U. S. Constitution? The Arab and Islamic tyrants are thrilled, and the Euroweenies are in complete denial about the depth of this attack on the ability of free people to express their opinions, however unpopular.

Here's what Obama's ranking U.N. diplomat, Douglas Griffiths has said: "This initiative is a manifestation of the Obama administration's commitment to multilateral engagement throughout the United Nations and of our genuine desire to seek and build cooperation based upon mutual interest and mutual respect in pursuit of our shared common principles of tolerance and the dignity of all human beings." Say what? The HRC and the Organization of Islamic Conferences read it somewhat differently. "Respect" means one thing--the silencing of any speech critical in any way of Islam.

Unlike any previous action regarding speech in which the United States has participated, Obama did not set any of the routine boundaries which exempted America and its Constitution from the rules of the Commission. Obama echoes the words of the Canadian Human Rights Commission in that he doesn't consider free speech to be very important, and since it's a very American value, he doesn't much care for it. In fact, I expect a "free speech apology tour" to be scheduled any time now.