War on Free Spech (part I)

I certainly do not agree with everything that Lou Dobbs says and I can understand how some people could find him offensive, but I am deeply troubled by the continuous efforts of La Raza and various other "progressive" organizations to have Mr. Dobbs taken off the air.

Anyone who truly values free speech will counter the "falsehoods" of their ideological opponents with their own ideas and arguments, rather than seek to silence them.

Anyone who truly values free speech will respect the right of the public to be exposed to and choose from diverse ideas, rather than seek to insulate them from ideas that are contrary to their own.

Anyone who truly values free speech will be extremely judicious in their use of labels that end debates like "hate speech," instead allowing their opponent's argument to rise or fall on its own merits.

While (we can hope that) only a minority of "progressives" are hostile to free speech, it seems as if most battles against free speech are waged by "progressives" who place values such as sensitivity and diversity above free expression and intellectual openness.

National Council of La Raza Applaud Dobbs' Exit
Group says anchor's departure important step to "restoring greater fairness" at CNN

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/12/2009

The National Council of La Raza, which has crossed swords with Lou Dobbs on the issue of immigration, hailed his exit, saying it was a good thing for CNN and cable news.

"Lou Dobbs's resignation from CNN yesterday is an important step forward in restoring greater fairness, accuracy, and balance on CNN and cable news," said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguia in a statement Thursday.

The shout-out came as no surprise given that NCLR was a founding member of the Drop Dobbs coalition, which comprised a number of groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center and National Puerto Rican Coalition, seeking his ouster from the network over his position on immigration and immigration reform.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/388706-National_Council_of_La_Raza_Applaud_Dobbs_Exit.php