"I was under the impression that we have the right of free speech," said Xanne Joi of Code Pink. "To me, I thought free speech meant you get to say what you want without recrimination."Detailed story link (NBC).
No. Actually, free speech means you get to say what you want, and everyone listening gets to think and say what they want in return. Oh, and here's the part you misunderstood: within the bounds of the law (or the libertarian "no instigation of aggression" rule) they also get to respond any way they want--including removing their support of you.
More from the article:
Ann Cooper with the Berkeley Unified School District wants both sides to play nice.Typical. The kind of mindless moral equivalency that comes when there's not a thought about who started it.
"Senators sitting 3,000 miles away are trying to take food away from the children of Berkeley," said Cooper. "Why? Because the Marines and the city aren't playing nice -- and that's just not OK."
2 comments:
That's the big problem with these kind of state funding schemes - you get blackmailed into doing stuff you vehemently disagree with because you are dependent on the war state for your money.
FWIW, I side with Berkley on the issue - the Marine recruiters should not be allowed into the schools if the board says so. Kids can go to the recruiting center if they really want to sign up. Schools should not have to provide recruiters with their records.
But the school has no choice since they are beholden to these same folks for their money.
Extrapolate that to any other government program you see fit.
The funny thing on this one is that I actually generally love political "street theatre" and I'm no hard-core fan of American political militarism.
I wasn't really addressing the rights and wrongs of this specific case except for Xanne Joi's skewed view of what free speech means. She's asking to be able to say anything, anytime, with no repercussions--and that's just infantile.
Your point--as always--is well taken.
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