Free Speech Only for Those More Equal than Others

William Donohue has something to say today about more "Anti-Christmas Fever":

“Like most Jews, Olympic skater Sasha Cohen is not offended by Christmas carols. But that didn’t stop a government employee from trying to protect her. While Cohen was skating at a rink in Riverside, California, a high-school choir started singing ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,’ immediately sending Michelle Baldwin into orbit. She summoned a cop and got him to institute a gag rule: he ordered the choir to stop singing. Baldwin maintained that because Cohen was Jewish, she would be upset by the carol. But she never bothered to ask the skater if she objected. As it turns out, Cohen couldn’t have cared less. As usual, those who say we must be careful not to offend non-Christians at Christmastime are the ones who object to Christmas—not those whom they falsely claim to represent...."

The AP has the story here:

A "silent night" as carolers told to stop singing at skating show
Associated Press
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - A high school choir was asked to stop singing Christmas carols during an ice skating show featuring Olympic medalist Sasha Cohen out of concern the skater would be offended because she's Jewish.

A city staff member, accompanied by a police officer, approached the Rubidoux High School Madrigals at the Riverside Outdoor Ice Skating Rink just as they launched into "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and requested that the troupe stop singing, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported Thursday...

Choir director Staci Della-Rocco said she complied with the request "because a policeman told me to stop. I didn't want to have a big old huge scene in front of my kids," according to the newspaper.

Free speech denied in the People's Republik of Kalifornia - coming soon to your area, no doubt.

It seems that we now have the right, if not the duty, to demand that anyone who says or sings something in public with which we disagree, to immediately cease and desist - and the demand will probably carry more weight if one can persuade a cop to assist. What a country! I can think of several clowns which should never speak in puhlic again...And it shouldn't be too hard to find an "impartial" judge who would agree these days...