Gingrich on Free Speech

Yesterday, speaking at the annual Nackey S. Loeb First Amendment awards banquet, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich hinted at the idea of ‘modifying’ freedom of speech laws to curb terrorism.

Gingrich suggested that a ‘new set of rules’ may be needed to curb the use of the internet by terrorists.

“We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade.”

Although keeping the specifics quite vague, Gingrich did criticize recent campaign finance laws stating that they do nothing to really curb political attack ads, and do more to reduce our freedom of speech. He also criticized church and state laws, claiming that they do nothing more than weaken the American publics ability to freely express themselves and their faith.

On those two points I COMPLETELY agree with him. McCain / Feingold hampers our freedom of speech more than it helps, so what if you can’t run a negative ad so many days out from an election… run enough before the deadline and it does just as much damage. Now that they’re talking of expanding the bill to include political blogging, where do we stop? Take away my freedom to even DISCUSS politics online and you’ve stepped way over the line. As for the Church and State laws… I feel they too have gone WAY over the line. Government steps in when there is no need to step in, to put the brakes on festivals, yard displays etc. simply on the basis that a non-Christian could possibly become offended.

Unless someone can come up with a positive way to monitor and control terrorist activity in the US without stepping on MY rights as an American… I’m not for any sort of amendment modifications.