THE UNFAIRNESS DOCTRINE

Democrats in congress are talking openly about reinstating the old, restrictive "Fairness" Doctrine. That is, broadcasters must balance opposing views in their programing. That in itself doesn't sound so bad but what it will do is nothing short of an infringement on free speech.

This won't affect the major news outlets because they fervently believe that stacking five liberals against one conservative IS fairness. The "Fairness" Doctrine is a blatant attempt to shut down talk radio which for the most part is conservative in content. There is a reason for that; conservative talk radio sells advertising because it draws a huge audience. Liberal talk radio does not because it does not. The highly touted Air America went belly up in just a few months.

So, what do political liberals do when confronted with speech they don't like? they try to shut it down. Free speech to political liberals means speech they agree with. Speech they don't agree with is ipso fatso; "hate speech."

The concept of free political speech is enshrined in our county's heritage. I have nothing but contempt for double-speak which blathers nobly about "freedom of the press" while trying to muzzle individuals' rights to free expression. It is nothing less than hypocrisy.

When I was in college--lo, these many long years past--my liberal professors were quite proud of the liberal tradition. Many times they announced with great pride, "I may disagree with you, but I will die for your right to disagree." That's a far cry from the crybabys in today's liberal camp.

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

George Orwell, Preface to Animal Farm