by Robert M. Traxler
An article in USA Today reports, “A New York City law has new guidance that states the use of the term “illegal alien” to “demean, humiliate or harass a person” is illegal, according to the New York City Commission on Human Rights.”
One must ponder if the terms they are discussing also include names that are terms for folks like you and me? Well most of us anyway, terms like racist, sexist, homophobe, deplorable, irredeemable, ignorant hayseeds, and enough others to fill a book. Are they? No, not quite; the accepting left is only interested in fining and jailing folks who defy liberal orthodoxy.
The guidance “defines discrimination on the basis of perceived or actual immigration status and national origin under the New York City Human Rights Law in public accommodations, employment and housing.” It also includes the term “illegals.”
The guidance also states “harassing or discriminating against someone for their use of another language or their limited English proficiency and threatening to call ICE on a person based on a discriminatory motive, are considered to be in violation.” So Joy Behar, who demeaned Melania Trump for not speaking proper English, should be jailed? Those found in violation of the law can be fined up to $250,000. Don’t pay the fine and end up in prison, wow.
Now do most good folks demean and degrade people? No, we do not. Is degrading people based on immigration status a good thing? No it is not: to do it is rude, crude and socially unacceptable, but criminal? Our media, the champions of the First Amendment to the Constitution, the self-proclaimed keepers of the flame of liberty, are silent on or in full support of this law. Where is the outrage that speech is being criminalized? Where are the media giants, The Washington Post, New York Times, ABC NBC, CBS, PBS? Hell, the Town Broadcast? They are in the Amen corner, applauding New York City for criminalizing speech. Folks, you can’t make this stuff up.
If Voltaire’s words, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” are replaced with, “if the American left, who identify as protectors of free speech do not agree with what you say, they will fine you and or jail you,” we as a nation are in deep trouble. This would be humorous if it were not so deadly serious.
In a socialist nation without a constitutional guarantee of free speech, the thought and speech police are allowed to arrest and try those who disagree with the government; indeed, this is one reason socialist nations end in dictatorships. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” a concept that was true in 1887 when John Dalberg-Acton stated it, and it still is today.
In anger, call someone who has wronged you a wetback and you go to jail. Refer to someone who has assaulted you in a rent dispute as an illegal alien and you go to jail? If all this doesn’t scare the hell out of you it should. Government at all levels is amassing power that it should not be allowed to, and it is not even objected to by the media, the watch dogs of free speech, but it is indeed cheered by them. Really?
The American far left is quite out of control; no one will rein them in because they are in fear of the power of social media and the news media. Both institutions have a myopic view of how we as a nation must evolve into a just, controlled, regulated, subservient and compliant nation under the glory of the national socialist banner. Their end will never be achieved with the United States Constitution in place; chipping away at the validity of the founders as slave owners and all old white men is an attempt to nullify the document.
Do not think the calls for impeachment of the President and at the same time three Originalist Associate Justices on the Supreme Court (Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Thomas) is an accident of history. Do not think the far left choosing from a long list of self-proclaimed socialist candidates is a coincidence.
Please note, all quotes are in complete sentences, as proper context is only fair and proper.
As a librarian, I always believed I was one of the warriors at the forefront of those defending freedom of speech, press, and expression. Before I was a librarian, I believed that as a citizen of the United States I was a warrior of all those things, too.
Criminalizing speech is probably a bad idea. Even hate speech is protected by the Constitution. That’s part of what makes our nation great.
“Illegal aliens” might be an offensive term. The more valid argument is that it is an inaccurate term. “Undocumented aliens” might be a better choice for that segment of humanity being referenced.
MS. Mandaville,
Agree, thanks for the comment.
They are documented when the occasionally get caught. They are illegal aliens, if caught or not. Let’s quit the linguistic circus.
Don’t Tread On Me,
It is symbolism over substance.
Thanks for the comment.