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Berkeley. The so-called birthplace of free speech is now the epicenter of a nefarious movement to silence freedom-loving young people. The latest "free speech" outing was to shut down conservative Ann Coulter's speech on obeying the laws that are on the books in America.
So-called "anti-fascists" threatened violence last week in Portland if the city didn't cancel the "82nd Avenue of Roses Association" parade.
Why? Because the Multnomah County Republican Party was scheduled to march in the parade, as they have for the past several years.
The city canceled it.
Why? Because the city says they don't have enough police to cover an incident, and they want people to be safe.
According to the Washington Post, the purpose of the parade was to "to attract crowds to its diverse neighborhood."
Ann Coulter's scheduled speech at Berkeley was to be a call to enforce the laws we already have on the books regarding illegal immigration.
Two self-described antifascist groups in Portland pledged to protest if the parade was held as scheduled because the Multnomah County Republican Party was scheduled to be in the parade.
They promised the city if the parade took place they would protest and disrupt it.
Then came an anonymous and ominous email, according to parade organizers, that instructed them to "cancel the GOP's registration---or else."
The email said, "You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads and so please consider your decision carefully."
"This is nonnegotiable," the email read.
The threat also said that 200 people would "rush into the parade" and "drag and push" those marching with the Republican Party."
They hatefully said, "We will not give one inch to groups who espouse hatred toward LGBT, immigrants, people of color or others."
The parade, scheduled for Saturday, was canceled altogether.
In a statement, the Association said they can no longer "guarantee the safety of our community and have made the difficult decision to cancel the parade" based on the threats from "Oregon Students Empowered" and "Direct Action Alliance."
A petition was started by citizens to ask the city to reconsider, but the city maintained the decision. Rick Jarvis, a spokesman for the Rose Festival Foundation, said, "Our official position is we're extremely sad about this," but the parade did not go on.
Most people can live without a parade, but many are beginning to measure the effect these kids of actions have on free speech.
Many were outraged, expressing themselves online calling the "antifascist groups" who shut down the parade "snowflakes," "anti-American," and "a bunch of chickens and brats."
One person wrote, "Shutting down free speech is the epitome of fascism. This is America."
This "is" America, but not the America our Founders envisioned, and not the kind of "free speech" most citizens envision.
We have groups of anarchists using fascist methods to shut down free speech for people the anti-fascist anarchists deem to be fascist.
These same groups have inverted virtues like tolerance, inclusion, and equality to bully their social agenda into the national politically correct narrative--- accusing those who have a different view and do not "affirm" their agenda as bigots and racists.
The Washington Post says, "The free speech Uproar on Portland reflects controversies across the country, particularly on college campuses, where speakers with conservative and sometimes extreme right-wing ideologies have been met with occasional violent protests or threats of protests."
This is a very misleading---and I believe purposefully so---on the part of far Left WAPO.
These "controversies" are not "occasional," they have become the norm, with a new level of fascism that now only requires the "threat" of violence, without the effort of actually committing the violence.
This pattern has been duplicated by anti-Christians in the public schools. Atheists and other anti-Christian organizations now know that the threat of a lawsuit to a cash-strapped public school board is adequate to silence anyone who utters the word Christmas, or "Easter Egg," or recognizes the Ten Commandments in a graduation speech---you know the drill.
Generally, Benito Mussolini is considered the founder of fascism, in which he espoused 3 general principles:
- Everything in the state.
- Nothing outside the state.
- Nothing against the state.
With the support of President Obama and the secular progressive Left, a cultural fascist state has been birthed, with the notion that their beliefs in secular progressivism are "Nonnegotiable" on all social issues and issues of freedom of speech and freedom of religion are absolute.
Anyone who dissents is silenced and punished if necessary.
Since the 1960s, University of California, Berkeley has defined itself as the birthplace of "free speech."
This, of course, in reference to the riots and protests on campus in the 1960s. Riots and protests that included speakers advocating communism, socialism and in some cases the overthrow of the United States.
Radical, anti-American, anti-Christian for sure.
It is becoming apparent, however, that Berkeley's brand of free speech only cuts one way.
Todd Starnes with Fox News wrote, "There is a clear and present danger to conservative students at the University of California, Berkeley."
He says, "Conservative commentator Ann Coulter had been scheduled to speak last Thursday, but her speech was forced to be canceled."
Left-wing groups had threatened to silence MS. Coulter by any means necessary.
The university, in light of the threats, refused to guarantee the safety of Coulter or students who would attend her speech, thus sealing the deal---the speech was canceled.
The speech was not to be some out in the street free-for-all, but a lecture in a lecture hall, intended to foster thoughtful debate and conversation.
Starnes notes, "It turns out the university's police department has a stand down policy---meaning they do not get involved unless there is imminent loss of life.
This facilitates the campus police to look the other way, while secular Left groups make their threats and ultimately silence all with whom they disagree.
Remember, it was President Obama who once said, "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."
We should not be surprised over the campus uprisings happening across the country---nor the attempts to silence conservatives and Christians.
These are the children of the Obama generation---a generation that was taught to silence speech they disagree with.
The far Left progressives are not only trying to implement gun control, but speech control as well.
It is the irony of ironies.
Be informed. Be Vigilant. Be Bold. Be Faithful. Be Prayerful.