A recent friend who also blogs declined to put an article of mine on his space because the article compared a certain group to the infamous Nazis, citing Godwin's Law which states " that overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact.".
Godwin's Law is a humorous anecdote, not a journalistic regulation. Basically it states that the longer a Blog argument continues, the more likely it is for someone to drag the Nazis or Adolf into it. True, I am sure. But it does not invalidate the comparison when the actions reflect a National Socialist attitude from the body regarding decisions being made in spite of the will of the people.
The entire point of the article was "FOR THEIR OWN GOOD". The Nazi's, the Government of South Africa, the Government of the United States, and even the Government of Idi Amin have all been guilty of taking the stance that they know more than the people. Anytime a government is allowed to make decisions contrary to the will of the governed, it is the first step on that infamous "slippery slope" that leads to a totalitarian government.
I was actually considering letting this go, since it was easy enough to compare the recent actions of the Peoria City Council to actions of Segregation, Apartheid, and the interment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II. But the recently published editorial by Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald (Our ideals make America what it is, warts and all, Peoria Journal Star, March 9th, 2011) spoke to me.
Freedom of Speech, especially political speech, was the first right given in the Bill of Rights for a reason. Suppression and repression of statements contrary to the will of those in power is the most powerful tool available to a despotic regime. Thank God that in this country, such suppression is not allowed.
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