THE NEW GOVERNOR OF ALABAMA.

Reckless attack.

The new governor of Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley, was not wrong in declaring his religious beliefs in public. He was just espousing his faith in his inaugural speech, which anyone can do; particularly, when he felt he must make himself known to the people of his State.

He was just being honest and frank with his audience.He did not invite anyone in the gathering to become a Christian. Therefore, the opposition, and the accompanying hoopla by any league or organization should be regarded as pure hogwash.

In fact, it should be ironical, if in the aftermath of 9/11, an Imam declared that he was going to build a mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero, and he thought he could do so, without any kind of reproach; and on the other hand, a prominent person announced his faith publicly, without having any intention of offending anybody's feelings; then there should be a public outcry.

In the first instance, nothing was said about the Iman's nefarious plan by any of those organizations that were attacking the new Alabama governor.

In the second instance, a person was saying, "Be what you are; but this is what I am,"; and should that be offensive?

If that was how we should interpret the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution, then freedom of speech has no meaning whatsoever.

Many Americans, however, would prefer to think that the governor should rightly be allowed to freely express his opinion in public, even if it was personal; with the thought that the first amendment was the guarantor of that right.

SANE RHETORIC.

TV Programs; Radio and publications.

Current events have their roots in politics. Politicians are responsible for most upheavals that happen. Tone down the rhetoric for peace.
Politicians and TV program organizers, as well as news editors, must think twice before they speak or print any artcle. Every piece of information carries a message; therefore, every bit of it must be carefully scrutinized before it is put out for public consumption.

Just because a person is eloquent in History or in any other subject, he or she is given a forum on TV or on radio or in a publication; and he or she spews out whatever is regarded as information, and that goes a long way to influence others in a negative or positive way.

The ratings are what these people mostly worry about; or the popularity, if they happen to be politically inclined; but sometimes the damage they do is beyond repair, like the murders in Tucson, Az., last Saturday.

Do they ever sit back to think about the outcome of what they say; really? Not many people think so. Free speech in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is part of the Bill of rights, and it allows for only sanity, just as not to be misconstrued in any way that yelling "fire" in a crowded theater is not sane; that fact must never be overlooked.

The peevish and waspish vitriol that comes out of many of these people sometimes leaves much to be desired.

Now, in the wake of the Tucson atrocity, decent people everywhere are saying, "That's enough".