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Jul
11
Local Gov’t Officials Censoring Newspaper’s Forum?
Filed Under corruption, Democratic Party, Hammond Indiana, Lake County, life online, Northwest Indiana Times | 9 Comments
The Northwest Indiana Times calls on a local Democratic party mayor to stop censoring its message boards after it discovered IP addresses leading back to Hammond, Indiana’s government.
Supporters of Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. who have been interfering with public discourse on Hammond issues need to be reined in. And the one to reel them is the mayor himself.
Unfettered public dialogue on the issues is one of the founding principles of democracy. It’s important enough that the Founding Fathers put it in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
And yet that public discourse has been under attack in Northwest Indiana. Comments unfavorable toward McDermott have been under attack on The Times message boards.
It’s a sad day in America when a newspaper has to ask a government official — a Democratic mayor — to tell workers using government computers stop censoring items on its website.
It’s another piece of evidence that shows why it is always important to not give government officials unlimited control over our lives and our businesses because they can use their control of these things to limit our freedom and liberties. When the government feeds and takes care of people, it can also withhold those same necessities to those it does not like. If the government is so afraid of dissent it is willing to censor its opponents, what else is it willing to do to its opposition? Unfortunately, world history is replete with examples of the horrors that power-drunk governments commit on their citizens.
In the heart of anyone in a power position in government, there is the potential to become ultimately corrupt like King George III, Stalin, Pol Pot or Robert Mugabe. We’re seeing this evil tendency at work right at home when government officials censor the Northwest Indiana Times’ message board in an effort to silence the opposition.
It’s just another reason why the northern part of the county continues to lose population and businesses. Why put up with corruption, waste and now censorship when there are better places to live and work?
Jun
28
Could Obama Be Right In Suggesting Focus On Universal Christian Values?
Filed Under abortion, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, GOP, politics, religion, Republican Party | 6 Comments
Kevin Tracy writes that conservatives should listen to Barack Obama’s suggestion that instead of trying to change hearts and minds via evangelical church rules, maybe Christians should focus on common goals that would make America a better place.
… Barack Obama is essentially saying that he recognizes that this nation was built with a Christian foundation, which is significant progress for liberals we on the right should be applauding. Barack Obama further says that we should thus fight for universal Christian values. But since there is no universal Christian values book, he’s saying we should fight for the ones everybody agrees on, including the Christian Left… that doesn’t leave much besides that “Love Thy Neighbor” stuff.
In other words, if this is a Christian country, as Obama seems to be admitting to, we shouldn’t be isolating any Christians who may not agree with the likes of James Dobson by only writing Christian legislation from a very VERY narrow non-Catholic conservative perspective.
I agree 100% with that.
Having watched our society split into two polar opposite camps that seemingly will never be able to unify as one, I have to also say that I agree with Kevin Tracy that the time has come to figure out what we have in common so that we can figure out common sense solutions to our nation’s problems — instead of always fighting with each other and with the other side. Much of Congress’ inability to do anything — both the GOP and the Democrats have failed to do anything during the 2000s — stems from our leaders’ inability to look at the greater picture. Much of this myopia comes from the constant battles and hate that has been a feature of Washington politics for far too long.
Let’s focus on common goals so that we can get the things that we agree upon resolved. Once we figure out how to get on the same page, maybe Washington will be able to get things done.
