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Death of comedian should remind us of our freedoms
OPINION
By Michael Westblade
George Carlin, the legendary comedian and provocateur died June 22 in Santa Monica, Calif., from heart failure.
Though I lament the loss of yet another of my heroes to the unwinnable battle of age, I can’t help but be reminded of the greatest gift this country has to offer and a gift Mr. Carlin championed tirelessly.
The gift of which I speak, promised to us by our founding fathers more than 200 years ago, is that of free speech, the third item in my favorite amendment.
Whether your feelings on Carlin fall in the category of adoration, apathy, anger or aversion, he was truly an advocate for free speech, one of the most sacred and necessary elements of a healthy and functioning democracy.
Through his own brand of comedic shock and awe, Carlin pushed the boundaries at every chance he got and did his best to bring every taboo into the light and question the ideas of censorship and repression.
Although Carlin’s campaign was one of jokes and satirical commentary, it’s a perfect example of what makes this country so appealing and what puts “America” on the tongues of the disenfranchised and oppressed peoples of the world hoping for a better life.
From behind that red, white and blue flag, guarded vigilantly by brave men and women with M-16s, we are guaranteed the right to express ourselves in any way we wish, no matter how stupid or offensive or illogical it may be. From behind that flag, we as a people have the right to speak openly to each other about any topic we choose, even if it means denigrating the powers that be or questioning mainstream thought just as Carlin was famous for.
This country of ours may even be one of the last bastions of truly free speech in the western world.
Other western countries such as France and Canada have adopted legislation barring “hateful” or “offensive” speech and impose steep fines on citizens for violations, while here in America, we’ll still let anyone step onto the soap box, no matter how deranged or hateful they may be. Sure, we have to put up the Westboro Baptist Church clan, but that’s America. We believe in the free market here and that free market extends to ideas as well as consumable goods.
When you think about it, we’re really pretty lucky and if you don’t, here’s some food for thought.
On the other side of the world in Zimbabwe, according to The New York Times, 85 people have been murdered for simply expressing opposition to the government. And in places like China, Myanmar, Cuba, Russia and North Korea, the suppression of information and the quelling of political dissidence isn’t the exception, it’s the rule.
In a lot of places outside western world, something as simple as our first amendment is still a distant dream.
So, as you grill hamburgers and hot dogs and light off fireworks tomorrow, just remember how incredibly privileged you are to live in a society which sees freedom of speech as an inalienable right granted to every resident regardless of their race, creed or religion and regardless of what they have to say and whether it might offend someone.
Tomorrow night remember that you live in a place where millions of men and women shed their blood so people like George Carlin could get on stage and say whatever they wanted, free from persecution or retribution and so people like you and me could voice our opinions and criticize freely without fear of retribution.
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By Michael Westblade
George Carlin, the legendary comedian and provocateur died June 22 in Santa Monica, Calif., from heart failure.
Though I lament the loss of yet another of my heroes to the unwinnable battle of age, I can’t help but be reminded of the greatest gift this country has to offer and a gift Mr. Carlin championed tirelessly.
The gift of which I speak, promised to us by our founding fathers more than 200 years ago, is that of free speech, the third item in my favorite amendment.
Whether your feelings on Carlin fall in the category of adoration, apathy, anger or aversion, he was truly an advocate for free speech, one of the most sacred and necessary elements of a healthy and functioning democracy.
Through his own brand of comedic shock and awe, Carlin pushed the boundaries at every chance he got and did his best to bring every taboo into the light and question the ideas of censorship and repression.
Although Carlin’s campaign was one of jokes and satirical commentary, it’s a perfect example of what makes this country so appealing and what puts “America” on the tongues of the disenfranchised and oppressed peoples of the world hoping for a better life.
From behind that red, white and blue flag, guarded vigilantly by brave men and women with M-16s, we are guaranteed the right to express ourselves in any way we wish, no matter how stupid or offensive or illogical it may be. From behind that flag, we as a people have the right to speak openly to each other about any topic we choose, even if it means denigrating the powers that be or questioning mainstream thought just as Carlin was famous for.
This country of ours may even be one of the last bastions of truly free speech in the western world.
Other western countries such as France and Canada have adopted legislation barring “hateful” or “offensive” speech and impose steep fines on citizens for violations, while here in America, we’ll still let anyone step onto the soap box, no matter how deranged or hateful they may be. Sure, we have to put up the Westboro Baptist Church clan, but that’s America. We believe in the free market here and that free market extends to ideas as well as consumable goods.
When you think about it, we’re really pretty lucky and if you don’t, here’s some food for thought.
On the other side of the world in Zimbabwe, according to The New York Times, 85 people have been murdered for simply expressing opposition to the government. And in places like China, Myanmar, Cuba, Russia and North Korea, the suppression of information and the quelling of political dissidence isn’t the exception, it’s the rule.
In a lot of places outside western world, something as simple as our first amendment is still a distant dream.
So, as you grill hamburgers and hot dogs and light off fireworks tomorrow, just remember how incredibly privileged you are to live in a society which sees freedom of speech as an inalienable right granted to every resident regardless of their race, creed or religion and regardless of what they have to say and whether it might offend someone.
Tomorrow night remember that you live in a place where millions of men and women shed their blood so people like George Carlin could get on stage and say whatever they wanted, free from persecution or retribution and so people like you and me could voice our opinions and criticize freely without fear of retribution.