Are you Special?

I am so tempted to go on a rant inspired by an unwelcome article reminding me that the vast majority of people don’t understand the concept of free speech.

I think I’m special. You are probably special too. Normally, that’s a good thing, right? Well, apparently not when you are exercising your constitutional rights to free speech, assembly, and petitioning the government for redress of grievances. Then, the term ‘special’ becomes a pejorative, as in ‘special interests.’ Well, when it comes to petitioning the government, there are a lot of interests, and each one is probably ‘special’ in some way. The AARP is a special interest. The National Education Association is a special interest. The National Rifle Association is a special interest. The National Wildlife Federation is a special interest. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is a special interest. These groups, and many others, represent their members and their interests not just by visiting members of the government, but by publishing advertisements and attempting to influence public opinion. So, if you don’t think ‘special interests’ have a right to free speech, then just who does? Are we all supposed to speak as individuals? Even then, don’t we each represent our own ‘special interest?’

Ah, but you want to keep money out of politics, right? That’s just an excuse to limit free speech. I barely have time to blog. I sure don’t have time to write to my congressman about every issue I feel is important. His staff would start ignoring my letters after the first hundred or so. I depend on being represented by organizations like the National Rifle Association or the Political Action Committees that I support.

Free speech has always been difficult. It has many enemies, including Senators McCain, Feingold, Schumer, and every other Senator and Representative who voted for the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, President Bush who signed it into law, and President Obama who criticized the court for upholding the First Amendment in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.

I support free speech. Apparently, that puts me in a minority. I am thankful that there are five Supreme Court justices who also support free speech.

Interested in other opinions of this case? Here’s a short correction of President Obama’s error. Ralph Nader, that champion of freedom, makes his point in the Wall Street Journal which published letters from several folks who didn’t agree with him. I like what the Cato Institute says. And Senator McCain blames the Supreme Court’s ‘political inexperience’ for their decision. Yeah, Senator, those guys who wrote the First Amendment didn’t have much political experience either, did they?
(note: that I have a great deal of respect for Senator McCain, but I respect him more as Captain than Senator