Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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San Francisco Examiner - December 10, 2004
Kathleen Antrim, www.kathleenantrim.com
The First Amendment is being redefined. Freedom of speech and tolerance for diversity of thought and ideas now includes lists of dos and don'ts. On the official list: Don't say "God."
In Cupertino a fifth-grade teacher has been barred from using excerpts of the Declaration of Independence to teach because there is a God reference. The school district wasn't available to talk about it.
This is the thought police in action, under the guise of separation of church and state. And they are silencing America.
Don't use any symbol that suggests religion.
My daughter's cheerleading squad planned to put up a Christmas tree in the high-school courtyard with the words, "All I want for Christmas is the NCS Football Championship" on it. This idea was squashed by administrators, who told the cheerleaders that not everyone celebrates Christmas. Instead of being welcome to express themselves, and welcoming others to do the same, the girls were silenced.
Don't listen to or verbalize diverse ideas or concepts with which the thought police don't agree.
Recently, at a San Francisco board meeting for a foundation that supports literacy, I suggested that we invite a famous former librarian who champions literacy, first lady Laura Bush, to be a keynote speaker. Jaws dropped. Silence ensued -- a sure sign that the thought police were ready to pounce. Eyes grew round and hard. Appalled faces glared at me.
"Laura Bush?" one member said. "Well, we'd need to find someone more appropriate than her."
More appropriate? The first lady of the United States, whose life has been dedicated to books and literacy, is not appropriate as a keynote speaker at a literary event in San Francisco? Well, of course not. Why? Her politics were not welcome here -- at least not by this group. And that was all that mattered, even though her politics had nothing to do with her appearance.
This brings me to the list of dos. Do avoid those with whom you "think" you might disagree. Of course, you may never really know if you disagree with them, because upon mere suspicion they must be silenced. If disagreement is detected, do escalate from acting offended to making cutting personal remarks. Do claim to be intellectually superior.
If you've got no facts to support your argument, and name-calling hasn't worked, do pull the religion or race cards. And finally, if they won't shut up -- as with someone giving a speech -- do shout them down.
What happened to sharing ideas, debating concepts, learning from each other and at times agreeing to disagree? Such discourse is imperative to education and the development of critical thinking. Now, only concepts condoned by the thought police are acceptable. But be careful, because these concepts go in and out of vogue. Black issues seem to be declining, with gay issues growing in favor. Medical issues are waning, with the exception of AIDS. Christianity is out. Evolution is in. Islam is very in.
I predict churches eventually will have to remove crosses from steeples because they can be seen from public roads. Protesting will only be allowed for politically correct issues approved by the thought police, such as abortion choice.
How far will the silencing of America go? Actually, that's up to you.
Merry Christmas.
Kathleen Antrim is a weekly columnist for The Examiner and author of the political thriller "Capital Offense." She appears every Monday at 7 a.m. on Radio America-Alan Nathan's "Battle Line" www.radioamerica.org, and on alternating Mondays at 8 a.m. on KSFO (560 AM), on "The Lee Rogers and Melanie Morgan Show."
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