When You Speak From the Heart...

Howdy everyone! I hope you all have had a great week. I am excited to say that the Present Day Patriots fan page on Facebook now has over 90 fans! Huge thanks to all my readers and supporters. In an effort to spread the word even more about my blog, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could send a quick email (or Facebook invite) to a good number of your friends, regardless of their political stance with the web address of my blog.

Today I want to discuss something very close to my heart, being the avid writer that I am--the right to free speech! The Framers of the Constitution accentuated this right by placing it within the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution:

"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."

The right to free speech, though many of us take it for granted every day, is a right that created our free country in the first place, and is a right that has kept it free to this day. A few brave colonists had the guts to speak out against an oppressive government and secure their basic God given rights, and break away from one of the most powerful empires of the 18th century through the power of words. The Founding Fathers knew the importance of this right, and how essential it was to maintaining liberty:

"Without Freedom of thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of speech." -Benjamin Franklin

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” -George Washington

The People for whom the government works must be able to stand up against their government when it oversteps its boundaries; people thinking for themselves results in a government BY, FOR, and OF the people... whereas when a government thinks FOR the people, they become, as Washington said, "like sheep to the slaughter" and totally dependent on biased media and the promises of politicians. Educated citizens, citizens willing to speak out when their rights are threatened, keep a nation free.

Recently, there have been a few headlines that have caught my eye regarding free speech. In general, they are people that have decided to fully excercise this right to free speech...and some have paid dearly for it, from the loss of business to public smearing. However, they stand by their beliefs, and as Thomas Paine said, "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

Most recently, a man by the name of Dr. Jack Cassell has made headlines. Dr. Cassell is a urologist in Florida, a conservative, and outpoken dissident to the newly-passed healthcare overhaul. In his Mount Dora, FL office, Cassell posted a sign on his office door that read:

“If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years.”

Cassell also has a pile of Conservative magazines and other reading material in a waiting area with another sign posted nearby:

“This is what the morons in Washington have done to your health care. Take one, read it and vote out anyone who voted for it.”

Now, note that Cassell does not screen his patients of their political views before providing treatment, and does not turn potential patients away on the basis of their political beliefs, either. (http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4192&Itemid=210)

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) is quoted in saying, "he was 'disgusted' by Cassell's behavior." He further stated, "...If this is the face of the right wing in America, it's the face of cruelty...Why don't they change the name of the Republican Party to the Sore Loser Party?" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/02/jack-cassell-doctor-refus_n_523076.html)

Grayson is just one of Cassell's many, many critics. All I can say is... really, Grayson? Since when is excercising one's right to free speech in their own workplace "cruel"? And this is not grade school kick ball...those that do not agree with the so-called "winners"--or group in power--should not be labeled as "sore losers". I say KUDOS TO CASSELL! More power to ya'. It is his office, his beliefs, and if patients do not agree, they may choose to recieve services from Cassell's office, or seek medical care elsewhere.

My next little tidbit is on a specific group of Tea Party protesters: African American Conservatives. The Tea Party movement, peaceful gatherings of every day Americans for lower taxes, smaller government, and government according to the Founding principles, are not radical right wing extremists (as Janet Napolitano labeled them)... they show up at city halls, street corners, town hall meetings, even Capitol Hill to voice their opinions and fight with the power of words for the future of their children and grandchildren. African American Conservatives that are involved with the Tea Party movement have had to take even more heat based on their race. From Fox News,

"A member of a group of black conservatives, who support free market principles and limited government, says: "I've been told I hate myself. I've been called an Uncle Tom. Black Republicans find themselves— always having to prove who they are."

Some of the disapproval also comes from supporters of President Obama. David Webb, a Tea Party organizer and radio personality, says some black conservatives are hiding their political views because: "I've gotten the statement— 'How can you not support the brother?'"

A political figure should not be supported simply because of race! And if those of the same race disagree, they should not be slandered for their beliefs! Also, I found this peculiar article condemning African American members of the Tea Party movement. Read through it... I think you'll notice a few just-plain-ridiculous claims by Mr. Robert Paul Reyes...
http://newsblaze.com/story/20100407092008reye.nb/topstory.html
This individual seems to think the Tea Party movement is specifically racist...based on the premise he has seen signs saying, "Fight Crime, Deport illegals!" Well, Mr. Reyes, that's just being an American concerned for one's nation. If they are here, and they are illegal, I see an issue with that. As Reagan said, "A nation without borders is not a nation." But immigration is a whole other bucket of worms for another day. :)


Again, I say KUDOS to all of the Americans who stand by the principles our nation was founded on, regardless of who disagrees with them.

I leave you with a quote from Newt Gingrich that I found especially true and moving, and one that we should keep in mind when listening to politicians, and simply people in general speak:

"When you speak from the heart, you don't need a teleprompter."

Have an awesome weekend, everyone. :)