Censorship

To the Left, opposition of any kind is censorship. Whoopi Goldberg was dropped as a spokeswoman for Slimfast. Censorship. Nevermind that those who disagreed with her were exercising their right to disagree. Linda Ronstadt was shown the door in Las Vegas for injecting politics in her show. Censorship. Nevermind that the people who booed and protested were exercising their free speech in booing. Same with the Dixie Chicks. To the Left, you simply do not have a right to disagree.

Continental recently dropped "Doonesbury" after surveying member newspapers. Twenty-one of 38 papers wanted the cartoon strip replaced. Only 15 wanted to keep the strip. But immediately it was - you guessed it, censorship.

One of the 15 papers, The Anniston (Ala.) Star (Click for QuikCap), expressed public dismay with the vote yesterday -- saying the decision amounted to censorship.

Sounds remarkably like democracy to me. But, then, knowing that, you just knew the media would be angered by any opposition to their agenda.

That ought to, but won't, bother free speech activists everywhere. The reason it won't is that the professional complainers only have a voice thanks to -- you guessed it, the media. And the number of celebrities coming forward to bush Bash are simultaneously indebted to the media for recognizing them and terrified of the consequences of not conforming to the media line. It is, isn't it, beginning to sound a lot like Big Brother comes to us wrapped in newsprint.

UPDATE: July 27th. It has been a week and oddly, Romenesko has not featured any other newspaper except the Anniston Star to assert that dropping the Doonesbury cartoon is censorship. The Star had these bizarre accusations in a editorial linked to by Romenesko.

Republicans control all three branches of government. The White House can command all the talk shows, has almost all of talk radio and religious radio.

Voices of dissent from Trudeau and others like him should — no, must — be protected. The Star believes to stand up on behalf of “Doonesbury” is the right thing to do.

What part of democracy don't they understand? If Republicans control all three branches of government it's because they were elected, trusted if you will, by the electorate. The same can be said of talk radio. They have been selected and trusted by the audience. Not the White House.

Sheeze, when your only defense comes from these kinds of nutcases, Trudeau is in deeper trouble than he knows.