Bush, Hitler, and Freedom of Speech

On Sunday March 5 while watching CNN a story appeared that certainly got my attention. It was about a high school teacher in Aurora, Colorado who was suspended (lucky for him, with pay) when he asked his students if they thought there were any similarities between President George W. Bush and Adolph Hitler. (By the way, just Google "Bush Hitler Similarities" and you will find several lengthy lists of similarities various people have compiled.) One of his students, a fifteen year old boy, "just happened" to record this question on his hand held recorder. The teacher, Jay Bennish, did not deny that he asked the question, but he emphasized that he posed his remark as a question, not a statement, in order to stimulate a dialog with his students.

I agree with Mr. Bennish because grappling with controversial issues is supposed to be part of the educational process. A teacher is supposed to get his students to think, isn't he? Though this incident has been a mere blip on the radar screen, thus far, I find it disturbing (to put it mildly) in the sense that the teacher's first amendment right (the freedom of speech provision) was violated. Quite frankly this doesn't surprise me at all. Why? Because this administration has slowly but surely squelched, put down, denied, pressured, or humiliated anyone who disagrees with them. (Hey! That's a similarity with Hitler right there, isn't it?) They're denying us, Americans, our constitutional rights slowly but surely.

What's almost laughable is that Bush and his partners in crime have the audacity, temerity and unmitigated gall to state (ad nauseam) that they want to spread freedom and democracy around the world while at the same time they're taking our freedoms away here at home! They must think we're all just a bunch of brainless morons. Well, I have news for the Bush regime's boot-lickers and hangers on. There are some of us in this great country of ours who are waking up to the grim reality that confronts us here in the United States of America. There are many of us who do not fall for Bush's lies, and double talk. We are not part of his so-called base; huge and powerful corporations (foreign and domestic), the oil industry, pharmaceutical firms, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Halliburton, etc. Yes, it's incumbent on those of us who know a con artist when we see one to do everything in our power to stop the theft of our constitutional rights. No one is going to do it for us; it's up to us. The future is now. Tomorrow will be too late. So let's stop complaining and start rolling NOW!

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