“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter”.
George Washington (1732-1799) First President of the USA.
It seems that free speech is being selectively attacked in this country if you belong to the wrong group, namely, Christian Conservatives.
In the past week, Rush Limbaugh, an ardent football fan, was denied the opportunity to be part of a group that wanted to purchase the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. Comments pertaining to Slavery and other offensive rhetoric were falsely attributed to Rush Limbaugh out of thin air and widely repeated by members of the mainstream media like Rick Sanchez of ESPN who of course did not bother to “fact check” its authenticity.
The race-hustling firm of Jackson, Sharpton, and Lee (Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Sheila Jackson Lee) got into the mix by offering their typical grips and charges of racism and divisiveness leveled at Limbaugh.
Rush got the boot, and for what?
They did not like the way he expresses himself, or more bluntly, he expresses the wrong opinions as far as the out-of-control Left is concerned.
The same thing, in a sense, happened to Carrie Prejean last April when she was asked her opinion about Homosexual Marriage at the Miss U.S.A. Beauty pageant. All Carrie did was give an honest opinion that she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. It cost her a whole lot of grief because many people believed she had the wrong opinion in mind. Eventually she lost her Miss California crown on trumped up charges of failing to fulfill her contractual obligations as Miss California.
We know the real reason, don’t we?
But a year before the Prejean incident, something happened that was more appalling than what had happened to Prejean or Limbaugh. Crystal Dixon, a Christian, African American woman got fired from her position at the University of Toledo for writing her opinion on Homosexual Rights in a local newspaper.
One day in April 2008, Miss Dixon read a Op Ed piece written by Michael S. Miller titled, Gay Rights and Wrongs, in which he passionately argued that Ohio was lagging in Homosexual Rights.
Read here.
Dixon responded to Miller and sent in an equally passionate response titled Gay Rights and Wrings: Another Perspective.
Read Here.
Her perspective that is rooted on the same Judeo Christian beliefs that founded this nation got her terminated because it seems that the administration of UT cares more about the opinions of a sexual special interests group than the free expression of speech.
This event should make every American shudder.
Unfortunately, this episode did not get the national attention it deserved at the time because the country was enthralled with the primary battle between Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. But, I remover reading about it and commenting to a friend, “This is the kind of stuff that will happen if Obama gets elected. The Libs will go nuts and be emboldened to crush their enemies.”
I emailed Ms. Dixon and she graciously agreed to answer 5 questions:
Do you think the A.C.L.U. will be involved in you case? No. In the past few years, it appears that the ACLU supports primarily liberal viewpoints. It would be refreshing if the ACLU would support a true and balanced diversity of opinions on matters of public concern on a consistent basis.
Has Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton flown to Ohio and offered to sponsor marches on your behalf at the University that fired you, an African American woman for exercising her rights of free speech? Rev. Al Sharpton did invite me on his radio show to discuss my case. He was quite supportive of my right to free speech and he expressed dismay at the university’s actions.
Has the N.A.A.C.P. or any other civil rights organization taken up your cause? Candidly, apart from my family, my pastors, my church, and my legal team, there has not been a consistent sustained voice of support by a civil rights organization, for this cause, which really is an American cause – the right to free speech regardless of one’s viewpoint. With certain balancing tests, the Supreme Court has already ruled that free speech is to be protected in public institutions. I worked for one. Ironically, I have received support/encouragement from former gays and former lesbians who have had their lives/lifestyles radically changed by a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ and are now practicing heterosexuals. I have also received expressions of support from practicing homosexuals who understand the constitutional right of free speech in America.
Do you feel you’re being treated differently because you’re a Christian Conservative? Absolutely yes. It’s called viewpoint discrimination. In public universities which say they are committed to “free thinking” and “diversity,” it should be that respectful and fact-based discourse and opinions should be welcomed, not censored or silenced.
What do you say to the African American community that don’t know your name or your case? My legal team and I are available to do radio and TV interviews to share more about this important case, particularly to inform Americans about their rights to free speech in public institutions. I would also encourage anyone interested in my case to visit my website: www.crystaldixon.com to learn more about what happened to me and to read the letter of opinion for themselves. Again, in public universities which say they are committed to “free thinking” and “diversity,” it should be that respectful and fact-based discourse and opinions should be welcomed, not censored or silenced.
Please talk about this case with your friends!
Let’s not forget what happened to Crystal Dixon because it can happen to anyone of us.
Samuel Gonzalez, The Last Tradition
