I recently posted about Britain’s lack of freedom of speech. But things are not much better in the U.S. Even though, in theory, our Constitution guarantees us freedom of speech, in practice we have de-facto laws against it whenever such speech violates certain taboos.
A school girl’s rant against Asians not only put her in a situation where she was forced to grovel, but she faced disciplinary action and death threats for her trouble.
Two other school girls were forced out of their school for airing their own anti-black rant on youtube. This was after they were made to apologize. When will people learn that apologizing does not help when it comes to accusations of racism; it only makes matters worse.
And now a firefighter in Miami is fighting for his job after some facebook comments he made, against black thugs in general – and specifically against Trayvon Martin – were reported to his empl0yer. According to the Daily Dot:
A firefighter in Miami is feeling the heat after posting a message about Trayvon Martin on Facebook.
Miami Dade Fire Rescue is investigating Capt. Brian Beckmann following a rant against Martin and “urban youth.” The screed was posted last Wednesday, not long after it was announced that George Zimmerman would be charged with second-degree murder in the killing of 17-year-old Martin in February.
A person who had access to Beckmann’s Facebook account took a screenshot and sent it to theGrio, a news community site focused on African American issues.
Beckman, a member of Miami Dade Fire Rescue since 1997, was quoted as saying that:
“Listening to Prosecutor [Angela] Corey blow herself and her staff for five minutes before pre-passing judgment on George Zimmerman. The state seeks reelection again, truth aside. I and my coworkers could rewrite the book on whether our urban youths are victims of racist profiling or products of their failed, shitbag, ignorant, pathetic, welfare dependent excuses for parents, but like Mrs Corey, we speak only the truth. They’re just misunderstood little church going angels and the ghetto hoodie look doesn’t have anything to do with why people wonder if they’re about to get jacked by a thug.”
In a private message to theGrio, Beckmann defended his comments.
“I am a private citizen and have the same right to freely express an opinion on any subject that anyone else does,” Beckman reportedly wrote. “I choose not to embellish or alter the facts as your employer chose to do.”
Hopefully, Beckman will stick to his guns and not back down. Either way, we are rapidly approaching a state of affairs where constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech ring hollow.
Jewamongyou's Blog 
Apologies are only the beginning of trouble.
Of course he shouldn’t apologize, and of course he shouldn’t face any official sanction for his opinion, but that doesn’t mean his opinion is beyond criticism.
The dangerous part of it is that it leans on left-wing nurture-environmentalist thinking. The “problem” with these ghetto bangers is their ghetto banger parents. Therefore, remove the ghetto bangers from their “bad” parents and put them in a better environment, and they’ll magically turn into rocket scientists.
That kind of thinking begat the whole Stolen Generations fiasco in Australia.
“Hopefully, Beckman will stick to his guns and not back down. Either way, we are rapidly approaching a state of affairs where constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech ring hollow.”
Beckman et al will need the support of a group to defend his right to free speech, since there are several groups, both freshly imported or otherwise, that are determined to attack it. If only there were such a group already. Unfortunately for them there is too much at stake, racism as a charge collapses if it can be successfully publically challenged, and entirely too many people are invested in racism.
Should read: “The Slippery Slope On Which We Find Ourselves” . . . No prepositions at the end of the sentence. You know better. Next thing you’ll be saying “Up in here”. :)
There is no need to type a smiley face after making a criticism. It is ok to make a criticism and just let it be without having to soften the blow with a smiley face. People in America smile when they don’t really genuinely mean it. In Russia there is a saying that to smile without a reason is a sign of insanity. People should just smile when the feel a genuine smile rather than smiling in a fake way or smiling for some utilitarian reason. I really hate it when news presenters on American television are always smiling like crazy people whenever they read the news.
I think Russians are very wise.
You’re right; I do know better. Fixed and thanks :)
Indeed. What is needed is an activist group which would turn one of these incidents into a major free speech case. This would require:
* Finding someone who would put themselves on the line.
* Having the legal muscle to bring this to court.
* Having media to back this up–even if just a well organized Internet campaign.
* Mobilizing allies behind a ruckus.
It could be done, but it would take some effort.
I agree. Right-wingers tend to be good family people and thus tend to be less willing to endanger their families by doing something radical like admitting publicly that Blacks like beating and raping Whites.
I suggest to not apologize, make it clear where you stand and leave it at that.
Anyway it’s very odd that to the media, the government, nonwhites and their supporters that saying bad things about nonwhites is far, far worse then many actual crimes that get commited by nonwhite individuals.
Being racially aware is worse then almost anything to these people.