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Free Speech?

By Theresa Fritz Camoriano

In America, the land of the free, we are supposed to be able to speak our minds, especially on political issues and candidates.  If we care about government policies on subjects such as education, abortion, gun control, or the war in Iraq, we should be able to express our opinions, to try to influence the public debate, and to hold our elected officials accountable for what they do.  In order to reach enough people to make a difference, we need to advertise our views in the media, such as newspapers, television, and radio.  In the America I knew as a child, we had the freedom to express our opinions through the media at any time, but, sadly, that is not the America we live in today.

Today, if you or I buy air time to promote our political views or to praise or criticize a political candidate within two months before an election, we will be breaking the law and can be punished with fines or even jail time.  The campaign finance laws that we were told would protect us from the politicians are actually protecting the politicians from us!  Now, they don’t have to worry about being challenged or criticized within two months before an election, which is the time period that really counts, because they have the power to punish us if we dare to challenge them during that time period.

You wouldn’t think such a situation would be possible in America, but you would be wrong.  The campaign finance laws have effectively muzzled us.  Since our freedom to speak out was an important protection against the oppressive use of government power, the loss of this freedom may have very frightening consequences.

While you might think that would be bad enough, and you would be right, it gets even worse!  To add insult to injury, not only are we effectively muzzled so we cannot speak out, but we are also forced to pay taxes to support a few “special people”, who are paid to promote their views over the airwaves, whether we agree with them or not.  Fifteen million dollars of our Kentucky tax money are spent each year to support KET,  buying a very large soapbox for those few “special” people like Al Smith, Bill Goodman, Jim Lehrer, Bill Moyers, and John McLaughlin, who are free to promote their views at any time, including during the two months prior to an election, while we are muzzled by the law.  This gives them extraordinary influence at our expense.

In other words, under the current system, Bill Moyers and Bill Goodman get all the freedom and the power, while you and I just get the bill!

Regardless of your political leanings, you should care about the loss of your right to speak out freely, to influence the public debate, and to hold politicians accountable.  If you are concerned about this loss of your freedom, as you should be, then please call or write your elected officials and let them know you want your freedom back!  Tell them you want two things:

1.                 You want them to repeal the campaign finance laws.

 and

          2.       You want them to stop spending your tax dollars to subsidize KET and NPR.

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