In George Orwell’s 1945 classic novel Animal Farm, the animals take over the farm. Because they think it’s
not right that they sleep in a cold barn or out of doors while the humans live
in apparent luxuries in the house. So, in the spirit of equality, fairness and
so on they toss out the humans and take over the farm.
When writing the rules which will now govern their new
situation, the animals agree that all the
animals are equals. No one animal individually or by breed is superior to any
other. And under no circumstances are any animals to live in the house the
humans used to live in. Such domestic inequalities is what led to the previous
intolerable situation they just replaced.
But before long, some
scheming animals start subtly rewriting the rules. It isn’t long before an
addendum is added saying that while all animals are created equal, some animals are more equal than others
(the pigs, if I remember the story correctly). The situation keeps changing as
the self-interests of the more scheming species of animals become the major
focus. It continues to deteriorate until at the end of the story, some of the “lesser”
breeds and species are outside the house, watching through the windows at the
now-openly-more-privileged-because-they-are-more-equal pigs living in the warmth
and luxury of the farmhouse.
Fast forward to today, 236 years after the Declaration of
Independence was adopted and 221 years after First Amendment and the rest of the
Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution formally became law. In said First
Amendment, Americans and all humans on American soil are granted free right to
express their opinion regardless of medium commonly subject to certain limitations,
as with libel, slander, and incitement to commit a crime, start a riot, etc etc
etc.
A bumper sticker today reads “Against abortion? Don’t
have one.” The implication being that just because one is against abortion
should not deny another the freedom to get one.
But, have you noticed how the “freedom of speech” nowadays
is more and more allowed only for certain opinions – politically-correct ones? Case in point; Dan Cathy, president of Chick-Fil-A
was asked in an interview in mid-July about his stance – his opinion – of gay
marriage. He said he and his restaurant are “guilty as
charged” of being “very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition
of the family unit."* He did not
say he hated gays. He did not advocate violence against gays. He didn't even say he would not hire as an employee or refuse to serve any gay customers in any of his restaurants. He merely expressed his
religious view of gay marriage. Both his freedoms of religion and his freedom of speech – as protected by the First
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution – supposedly allow him to do so.
Not only that, but Chick-Fil-A is a privately-held
corporation. That means it has no stockholders to answer to. That means it as a
corporation and/or its owners can have any opinion it wants to have. And our
Constitution at least used to
guarantee the freedom to express it – regardless of how unpopular it may be.
But, apparently not in Barack Hussein
Obama’s Amerika. Oh, no. The Thought
Police immediately launched a protest against Chick-Fil-A staging protests and “same-sex
kissing days” at Chick-Fil-A restaurants and even the mayors of cities like
Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago have threatened to not allow anymore Chick-Fil-A restaurants to be opened in
their cities? Really? This is freedom of expression as envisioned by the
Founding Fathers? An owner of a privately-owned company Constitutionally
expresses his opinion in a radio interview and this kind of backlash occurs? Can
you imagine the wingtail fits they would throw if any conservative or Christian
or Republican or gun owner or whatever else they hate so much were to conduct
such activities at a venue of the politically-correct over someone expressing
their support of gun control or love of Jesus or their dislike of abortion?
How about these extremists show a little more respect for
the First Amendment and practice what they preach in their Pro-Choice
bumpersticker; “Against Chick-Fil-A’s views on gay marriage? Just don’t eat
there and hush up.”
Apparently some of today’s animals have subtly rewritten the
rules of the farm. Apparently some are more equal than others. In today’s version
of Animal Farm, only certain politically-correct
people, groups and opinions are allowed to be freely expressed.
