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Health & Fitness

Do You Stand for Free Speech or Not?

Dan examines the public dialogue looking for hate.

It really is a yes or no question. 

On Saturday, October 29, the Maryland Conservative Action network (MD-CAN)  is hosting its second annual meeting in Annapolis. MD-CAN Turning the Tides Conference 2011

Some of our neighbors would prefer this meeting not happen.

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I'd argue that because some would shut the meeting down, the need for the meeting only becomes more urgent.

In Maryland - the bluest of blue states - conservative thinkers are few and far between.  In my experience they are not as or as far between as most think.  However, because of the way Democrats dominate all levels of government and enjoy a strong liberal majority of bleeding heart voters, earnest conservatives tend to keep in the closet.  The need for groups like MD-CAN to bring opposition voices together has never been greater.

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I say this as an independent who believes that opposition voices in the public arena create better outcomes for everyone.  You don't have to agree with me (or them) to understand that one-party rule does not benefit anyone but the party in control and its constituencies.  Necessarily, taxpayers are mis-represented and underserved as a result.

So who would prevent this meeting?  Well I'd prefer not to elevate the opposition with name recognition here, but here is their  proposition: Because MD-CAN will include a forum (one of 10 sessions) on the question: "Is Sharia Law Coming to Maryland?" the leaders, organizers and attendees are all racists and should be denied the opportunity to discuss the topic.

The less dignified (and less important) response is that this is a legitimate question.  Literally interpreted, followers of Sharia law are required to put their observance above obedience to the Constitution and other laws of the United States and all of its legitimate legal subdivisions of authority.  A group that seeks to understand this and its implications for life in Maryland should meet and discuss the issue and impact of changing demographics on our community.

The REAL answer, however, is that all citizens of the United States… [link to Declaration] are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rightsexplicitly among these are the right to freely and peaceably assemble, the right to free speech and the right to privately associate with one another.

The opposition encourages class warfare and gladly paints an event like this with a very broad brush in order to keep factions at odds with one another rather than examining the failure of government to solve all of our problems.  It's much easier to close a forum down or to scare away potential attendees if all its participants are labeled as the next coming of the Nazi party than to argue that one or two speakers at one out of 10 panels should be the cause of cancelling a wide-ranging agenda of conservative political thought. 

I don't care what your position is on the political spectrum.  If you live in Maryland, activities like the upcoming MD CAN conference benefit all of us.  Regardless of the speakers, regardless of the audience and regardless of any specific outcomes, some balance is needed in our public dialogue.  Conservative ideas (like balancing the budget and reducing the burden of government on taxpayers)  are unpopular in Democratically ruled Annapolis and Rockvile and as a result, we all suffer.  A more balanced government would be more accountable to the voters and taxpayers and, therefore, more effective.

So in closing, I ask you to step away from party politics, step away from your stereotypes and your pre-conceived notions about people you don't know well and understand.  Don't allow yourself to be bullied by popular messages and ask yourself:  "Who would stifle the opposition's internal dialogue?"  Would an American, confident in his or her own ideas, need to shut down the opposition or is that behavior more consistent with enemy of the American way who has something to hide? 

Do you stand for free speech or not?

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