War on Free Spech (part II)

I came across a debate between Lou Dobbs and Janet Murguia, the President of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group that had aggressively lobbied to remove Mr. Dobbs from the air. Although Mr. Dobbs clearly falls on the pro-enforcement side of the debate, he consistently allows pro-amnesty organizations like La Raza ample time to present their positions. In the course of this debate we see how some "progressive" organizations have become hostile to free speech and intellectual diversity.

PART I of the debate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhHAxFnvvgQ)

Janet Murguia attacks Mr. Dobbs for granting air time to the Minutemen and other "hate groups" to espouse their positions. Given the fact that Lou Dobbs is granting Murguia a platform to present her positions, this clearly shows that she is not seeking to expand the immigration debate and partake in the marketplace of ideas, but to silence her opponents and establish a monopoly of ideas.

Here are some excerpts from their discussion that highlights La Raza's disturbing efforts to infringe on free speech and open debate.

Murguia: "We are taking our case to the network heads and we're asking them to hold the networks accountable, we want to hold you accountable for how you use your microphone every night..."

Dobbs: "You want to have me fired...Who am I to be accountable to...to you?"

Murguia: "You are accountable to the broader public..."

I suspect that by "holding him accountable," Murguia meant that she would eliminate the right of Dobbs to air positions that are contrary to her own, which is truly abhorrent and undemocratic.

Part II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l53H0afhe94)

PART III (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=323dgBwniGU)

In this section Murguia uses the magical world "hate speech," which she and some other "progressives" use when they want to circumvent debates and silence their opponents.

Murguia: "We have to draw the line on freedom of speech when freedom of speech becomes hate speech...This is about hate speech which has no place on the air...It's about holding you accountable with your network..."

Dobbs: "You are trying to tear apart the first amendment...you can't stomach the fact that there are different opinions..."

Murguia: "Free speech is one thing hate speech is another..."

Dobbs: "Should I ask for La Raza to be disbanded because you and I disagree about illegal immigration?!?"

Murguia: "I am not trying to disband you...I am saying that you must be held accountable..."
It's about taking hate speech and representatives of hate groups...We need to hold networks accountable... We are going to hold you accountable with the networks...we are going to hold Glenn Beck accountable...we're going to hold all those individuals accountable..."

Dobbs: "The reality is that you can't stand the fact that we have free speech in this country... That you can be opposed and opposed and opposed effectively by people who care about reason in this country..."

Murguia: "Free speech is one thing and hate speech is another. We won't tolerate hate speech."

In particular, La Raza's behavior is so troubling because it serves as a doorway to civic and political involvement for many Latinos. So, rather than inculcate the values of free speech and open debate, La Raza is promoting a spirit of censorship and political heavy handedness to immigrants, something that does not bode well for the future. Indeed the left is in need of some serious soul searching.