Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Red Speech, Blue Speech, GOP Speech or No Speech!

By Jeff Simpson



The WisGop are once again doing what they do best.  Copying extreme far right legislation as if it was their own.  The latest version of lunacy is aimed at ending the First Amendment in college campuses across the state.  A quick refresher course on the 1st:

The amendment as adopted in 1791 reads as follows:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.[1]

 There have been a few incidences of violence erupting during some speakers at college campuses lately(which we will address later).  To put it in perspective, there are 9048 colleges and universities in the United States, and a handful of high profile incidences and new legislation needs to be written that circumvents the Constitution to make sure that no matter how hateful, or ridiculous your viewpoint is allowed to present to a large audience unchallenged.  

Which is the definition of Big Government.

The current reasoning behind this bill, which isn't very reasonable:

University of Wisconsin System students who disrupt speeches on campus could face expulsion under a bill circulated Thursday by Republican lawmakers.
The bill would also require universities to stay neutral on public policy controversies. The intent of that provision is to bar universities from forcing faculty or students to take a particular viewpoint, an aide to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said.  
Or as Robin Vos explains:

 "I think we should have more speech on campus," Vos told reporters. "If they want to bring in very liberal activists to be able to tell their story of why they believe in what believe or they want to bring in conservative folks to do the exact same thing, we should allow them the opportunity to be heard, questioned, debated at the appropriate time — but not just having somebody stand up and try to shout them down or block access to the event."
The goal is to allow the "maximum amount of free speech that we possibly can" so students can "hear from all sides and make up their own minds," Vos said.
Ok first before we address the ridiculousness of this, we need to address Republican hypocrisy.

A quick walk down memory lane and we remember after 9/11 that there was a rebel professor from Colorado named Ward Churchill, who made some very controversial statements about the people who work at the WTC and our Government.  When he was booked to speak at the UW System, the GOP legislators stepped up, led by none other than steve nASS who wanted to punish anyone in the system who dared disagree with the WISGOP:

Explaining Nass' 2005 push to make faculty follow codes of conduct, including not making "anti-American" statements, Mikalsen says, "Part of the issue is we have foreign-born professors. Those professors say things."

While Robin Vos is busy telling us: 

 "I think we should have more speech on campus," Vos told reporters. "If they want to bring in very liberal activists to be able to tell their story of why they believe in what believe or they want to bring in conservative folks to do the exact same thing, we should allow them the opportunity to be heard, questioned, debated at the appropriate time — but not just having somebody stand up and try to shout them down or block access to the event."
The reality is,  they mean that anyone they agree with should be allowed to speak no questions asked., As Steve nASS pointed out:
In 2005, Nass wanted the Board of Regents to order UW-Whitewater to rescind a speaking invitation to Ward Churchill, a Colorado professor who had compared the World Trade Center victims to Nazi Adolf Eichmann. And last year, Nass pressured UW-Madison to fire Kevin Barrett, an instructor on Islam who believes the U.S. government orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. Nass even went on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News show to vent his outrage over Barrett.When the university refused to purge Barrett, Nass responded by threatening to cut its budget. And this year, he came up with a slew of targeted budget cuts. These include eliminating funding for the Havens Center - which sponsored a talk by Barrett - and the UW's School for Workers, which educates union activists. 
Fast forward ten years and Steve nASS is still at it:

State Sen. Steve Nass blasted a UW-Madison economics professor in a scathing email ... calling the academic's report on right-to-work legislation and economic performance "partisan, garbage research."
The email, sent to Senate and Assembly Republicans and UW System officials with the subject line "UW-Madison Professor Steven Deller Uses State Resources to Trash Right to Work," cites a two-page fact sheet written by a Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics faculty member.
So publicly elected officials can shut down any speech that they disagree with and punish anyone who would attempt to want to have them speak.  

But wait there is more:

Robin Vos, Captain of free speech, skinny dipping and erotica, as head of the assembly, has set rules such as: 


1. Lean over or put any object over the balcony.
2. Use a laptop or other computer device.
3. Stand except for prayer or pledge of allegiance or as otherwise permitted by the presiding officer
4. Use recording devices of any kind 
5. Use cell phones or pagers.
6. Read newspapers or other printed materials.
7. Eat any food or drink any beverages.
8. Exhibit public displays or demonstrations.
9. Display signs or placards.
10. Possess bags or briefcases.
11. Wear hats.

Certain publicly funded buildings, run by publicly funded staff, is allowed to shut down any speech they desire.  

But Wait there is even more!  

After the massive hypocrisy of nASS and Vos, then we head to the kingpin of hypocrisy, our very own Governor - Scott Walker!

Scott Walker was given a forum on the Mike Gousha Show where he said this(with a straight face):

"But the minute you shut down a speaker, no matter whether they are liberal or conservative or somewhere in between, I just think that's wrong,"  Scott Walker said.


One more time just to make sure this was a real quote:

"But the minute you shut down a speaker, no matter whether they are liberal or conservative or somewhere in between, I just think that's wrong,"  Scott Walker said.
Scott Walker was the guy who had hundreds of people arrested for SINGING in the publicly funded state Capitol rotunda.  

A quick snapshot, of what the guy who thinks that shutting down speakers is wrong, has done:




Then never forget this, the perfect pictures from the Walker Era:




Ok! This really needs to be shared one more time.  Ladies and Gentlemen of Wisconsin, your Governor:'

"But the minute you shut down a speaker, no matter whether they are liberal or conservative or somewhere in between, I just think that's wrong,"  Scott Walker said.

By the way, it would not hurt someone from the Wisconsin Media to ask him about his blatant hypocrisy instead of let him mumble on about his love of free speech.

By the way, in case you forgot, what happened to the hundreds of Wisconsinites that Scott Walker had arrested for singing in the Capitol?   Not a thing, the arrests were UnConstitutional.  

 Now my take on the subject:

Yes as a blogger, elected official and lover of free speech, I think everyone should be allowed to speak anytime anywhere.  The First Amendment allows for you to have free speech, it does not allow for you to be free of consequences from your speech and it also does not mean that you have to be allowed a public, huge, forum to speak.  

As I pointed out early there are 9048 universities and colleges and there have been a handful of incidences around the country.   In each instance, it was a hate filled racist speaker that students shut down from speaking at their university.    It is the ultimate form of form of self policing and local control.
If you feel that someone outting a transgender student publicly, or lecturing that African Americans are inferior, or someone who is an avowed racist, should not be allowed a prime spot speaking at your university, no matter how much money he has backing him, then it is your responsibility to speak up and speak out!

Besides the law as they are trying to pass, is so vague that it is meant to punish anyone who would dare speak up at a public platform.  

a section of the bill that listed types of speech that would be prohibited. The legislation bars “violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, obscene, unreasonably loud or other disorderly conduct that interferes with the free expression of others.”
Cohn said profane and boisterous speech are protected under the First Amendment, and that the description of “abusive” speech is too broad.
Can you get suspended for speaking up in class, yelling at the Ohio State Football Team, Tom Izzo, a disagreement at Babcock Ice Cream over a flavor, complaints about poor service at the Memorial union, or is it being written to make sure that all Professors stay in line and make sure to know that they can are being watched and will be punished?

Either way, there can be no greater example of Big Government that you could find, and they are just now getting empowered.  



2 comments:

  1. Just want to point out they are not simply copying. This is a concentrated effort by repugs across the board. Otherwise you are spot on, Jeff.

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    Replies
    1. Yep, total GOP/ALEC "victim" ploy to try to drum up resentment among low-educated white people.

      But Jeff does a good job in showing another example of the 21st Century GOP motto - "Our rules don't apply to us."

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