A friend wrote from Michigan regarding Ann Coulter's article on Presidential Candidate B. Obama I had forwarded her.

My friend, (a small town 20-Something, who when living in Fiji, refused to wear shoes because, "I really want to identify with the locals," (most of whom thought she was insane,) reprimanded me for forwarding Ann's article. She claimed I was not "acting like a good Christian" because as Christians we are to "respect our leaders and the offices of President and Congress."

She wrote,

You know as Christians, Christ calls us to lift up our leaders in government whether we personally agree with them or not. This [article] does not sound very uplifting nor does it reflect respecting or honoring the offices of the president, presidential candidates, or the senators of the US Congress. I agree that there have been many presidential candidates that ran that probably did not seem to have much intelligence but our place is not to bad mouth them to others who maybe agree with there stand. Everyone stand for things they believe – an obvious statement yes, maybe even a hallmark one, but you know what, its 100% true, you stand, I stand, we all stand for things we believe in. Some would say the beauty of a democratic system such as ours is that we have the freedom to do this. So please, would you stop sending me these political and anti-political emails.

Poor misguided girl! Talk about "sticking to the status quo!"

Its been used before, but I can't help but be reminded of that flabbergasted little boy, who, when he saw the Emperor prancing through the streets of the city in nothing but his Birthday Suit exclaimed, "But Mommie! He's Naked!"

For far too long, folks like my friend have wielded off criticism using the very tenets they claim give us all freedom of speech and thought and behaviour!

The right to freedom of speech and thought is not limited to those who make the most noise.

Consider the comments attributed to that poor actor from Grey's Anatomy. He spoke his mind. So did the basketball player who was recently quoted as saying, "I hate homosexuals."

The actor was required to go to "rehab.." Isnt that called Re-education" in Communist countries?

The basketball player has been removed from representing the team at furture press conferences.
Why bother holding press conferences and question & answer sessions if you don't really want to know the answers? Why ask someone like an athlete (who probably got into college on an athletic scholarship and didnt have much experience in cognitive thinking, ) to answer potentially explosive questions?
The poor guy probably doesnt know what hit him!

Somebody, perhaps Obama, needs to write a book and call it, well, how about calling it
The Newspeak Dictionary of Correct Language.

That way, we would all know what to say, when to say it and who to say it to.