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McConnell:Growing Threats to Our First Amendment Rights (Speech at AEI)
American Enterprise Institute ^ | June 15, 2012 | McConnell, Mitch

Posted on 06/15/2012 2:37:45 PM PDT by Excellence

There is currently an urgent need to defend the right to free speech in America, alleged Sen. Mitch McConnell at an AEI event on Friday. He went on to highlight the current looming threats to the fundamental First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and articulated his belief that there must be a bipartisan consensus concerning the "inviolability" of this amendment. Advocating minimal government oversight with regards to free speech, he cited examples related to alleged corporate contributions in politics, the Disclose Act and instances in which government regulation of speech has moved beyond the Founders' original intent.

Sen. McConnell then argued that the right to free speech does not exist to protect popular beliefs, but conversely serves to protect unpopular beliefs. He furthermore stressed that this election cycle is of particular importance to the integrity of the First Amendment. Citing what he described as a "battle of ideas," Sen. McConnell warned that if the competition of ideas is stifled and there is not solid protection of the right to free speech, Americans will lose the battle of ideas before it even begins.

He concluded his remarks by urging all Americans to unite in their respect for the First Amendment, particularly in light of the perceived attacks on freedom of speech in recent years. Citing quotes from Oliver Wendell Holmes and previous landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, Sen. McConnell exhorted Americans to speak up when their rights are threatened and hence return to the founding principles that have ensured America's enduring success.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; freespeech
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1 posted on 06/15/2012 2:37:51 PM PDT by Excellence
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To: Excellence

Considering the number of founding fathers who fought duels (up to and including Abe Lincoln), I rather doubt they supported absolute freedom of speech.


2 posted on 06/15/2012 2:46:57 PM PDT by I Shall Endure
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To: Excellence

Freedom of Speech , the Right to Bear Arms and own private property. ALL of these rights are necessary for freedom.

Political Correctness and Hate Speech Laws are unconstitutional-—were ideas of Mao and Marxists to destroy freedom of speech and make brainwashing and conditioning into “group think”—one Godless way to think about sodomy or race or Capitalism. This control of language will determine worldview (Wittgenstein). They make words like Tolerance into Virtue-—even when it forces tolerance of Evil—which is never a virtue. They make Diversity a Virtue—when disunity is evil for civil society which needs cohesion. They push Multiculturalism as a Virtue-—when some cultures are evil and deserve to be villified-—but we no longer can do that—no longer have freedom of speech-—without being called “Racist’ and condemned in the “free” press which is nothing but a agitprop machine.

Holmes was responsible for the evil concept that forced John Austin’s concept into American Law-—which destroyed Justice. “Law and Morality need to be separated.” It can’t—Just Law (comes from the Virtue, Justice) and Just Law HAS to always promote Virtue (morality)-—that which was expressed in the Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle and later by Cicero who established what Just Law was and how necessary Rule of Law is for Freedom and Republics.

Just Law is always moral and promotes the teleological Laws of Nature and Nature’s God. We allowed Holmes and other judges to remove the God who gave us Natural Rights. We need God back-—he is the Standard of Right and Wrong in American Jurisprudence. We threw God out and inserted Barney Frank’s perverted, evil vision of Good and Evil It is unconstitutional.


3 posted on 06/15/2012 3:02:07 PM PDT by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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To: savagesusie

Well put.


4 posted on 06/15/2012 3:03:53 PM PDT by Excellence (9/11 was an act of faith.)
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To: savagesusie

There’s also this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_law_in_the_United_States_of_America

Constitutional Originalists are right about 2nd amendment. But probably wrong about the First.

If we can’t bring back dueling, can we at least reverse “Sulivan v. New York Times?”


5 posted on 06/15/2012 3:14:29 PM PDT by I Shall Endure
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To: I Shall Endure

Good points. I am for bringing back dueling-—and re-establishing true manhood —men who fight to the death for the sake of honor. We had freedom of speech then—which had dire consequences for lying and libel. There always should be dire consequences for lying-—especially in the press. People like Dan Rather and Cronkite should have been strung up and all their wealth taken away and handed out to the military families. Justice is crucial in a “free” society and intentionally lying to the public to affect politics should be treasonous.


6 posted on 06/15/2012 6:50:33 PM PDT by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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