In praise of dissent


A quickie for Monday
Last week it came out that the ever-so-thoughtful Department of Homeland Security had prepared a report on "right wing extremists." I'm amazed that the report managed to link concerns about immigration and gun control to racism and opposition to Obama.

But then, knowing former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, I shouldn't be.

Now in all fairness, there was also a report released on left wing extremists a few months earlier. Of course it was mainly prepared by the Bush Administration.

The bottom line, the Federal government doesn't like dissent. It doesn't really matter who is in charge. By opposing the government, you become a legitimate target for "homeland security."

You know, I still can't say that phrase without thinking it should be said in a really bad fake German accent a la Hogan's Heros.

But I have a different take. I believe that dissent is the sign of a healthy society.

At it's most basic level, tolerating dissent means that a society is sure enough of it's core values to believe those values will be what most individuals will choose. Not because it's the right thing to do, not because it's "the law," and not because society pressures it's members.

That's why things like these reports bear careful watching. They show that the Federal government doesn't trust people to make the "right choices." Hold on, strike that.

Those reports show that the Federal government doesn't trust people.

That's it.

Every time a government tries to eliminate the bad choices, it just makes things worse. Not to mention creating a profitable black market for those bad choices.

Show me dissent, show me people questioning government without fear of reprisal, and I will show you freedom.

Show me the dissent.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Mon - April 20, 2009 at 01:31 PM  Tag


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