Obama Campaign Stifles Free Speech At University Rally

September 29th, 2008 11:57 PM

The candidate of change, the shining proponent of a "new way" in national politics, says that you aren't allowed to bring a sign to his rally. So much for the right of free political speech. To add insult to injury, this rally was held at the publicly funded University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. So, now the government is lending the weight of its authority to squelch free speech. So, where is the hue and cry about this unAmerican activity? Did the media even note this heavy-handed policy?

But, it is all true nonetheless. The rally was held and weak-spined school officials bent over and meekly accepted the rules derived from the authoritarian penchant of the Obama campaign with its anti-first amendment proclivities. Some few small voices questioned this oppression of American rights, but for the most part no one seems to have noticed that Virginians had their Constitutional rights quashed that day. Shockingly, some even thought it was a good idea.

The Obama campaign, falling back on the oldest dodge in the book, claimed that campaign signs were not allowed because of "security concerns." Who can doubt, though, that it was instead because of "camera concerns"? The Obama campaign was far more interested in photo ops clear of McCain signs or other unwanted reminders that there are other opinions out there among the unwashed masses than that of sycophancy for The One.

On one hand, I see the logic in a campaign making sure that it controls the atmosphere of a campaign stop. It's only good sense. And if this control were to be exerted on private property with the full acceptance and participation of the property owners, well who can deny that? But it wasn't. This rally happened on public land.

Now, let us harken back to the "reason" that Sarah Palin was refused the podium at the anti-Iran rally last week, shall we? She was denied because of the so-called "equal time" rule, remember? This is a shadowy "rule" that seems to state that no politician may speak in public unless his opponent also appears to speak.

So, one wonders: did the University of Mary Washington invite the McCain campaign to the rally with Obama? And if not, why not? After all, this is a publicly funded institution. Are we to accept that such a place would violate that sacrosanct "equal time" rule? Are we to believe that a place funded by our money not only didn't invite the opposing candidate, but used its publicly derived authority to squelch free speech by disallowing signs?

I suppose we'll have to believe such a thing, after all.

Of course, the media doesn't mind. Who can deny that such heavy-handed campaign policies smoothes the waters for their messiah. I can only chuckle at this. I mean, Obama is the first messiah that needs average men to smooth the waters for him instead of being all powerful enough to smooth them himself. How shallow must be the water he walks upon?