Freedom is Just Another Word . . .

"The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: 

that we may think what we like and say what we think." 

-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Watching the coverage of last week's "tea parties" in downtown Nashville and Franklin, I was struck once again by the wisdom of our forefathers and the brave founders of this country. We have the Freedom of Speech and a Freedom to Assemble to make our voices heard. In an ideal world, perhaps, we would have more media outlets that would present both sides of a story equally instead of being viewed as biased. Since the media is a business, however, the owners of that business think about their bottom line above all else. (If you were the business owner, wouldn't you? If not, you might not stay in business very long.) So, rather than true "down-the-middle" journalism, our media landscape is comprised primarily of outlets that do what they need to do to attract advertisers, entice viewers, and maintain readers. All things that directly impact the bottom line. And all things that result in one-sided coverage for the most part (you can't serve two masters after all, right?)

However, the beauty of the "experiment" enacted by the Founding Fathers (and Mothers and Sons and Daughters) is that citizens of this country do have access to both sides of any story. It might not be spoon-fed to us from a single source and it may -- no, DOES -- require personal effort to seek out different angles before formulating an opinion. But the opportunity to embark on that search is ours. Not every country nor every human enjoys such a right. If we choose not to make that search, opt not to listen to dissenting opinions, and marginalize those who don't agree with us 100 percent of the time, however, what purpose do our freedoms serve? Some may think living life surrounded only by like-minded individuals is the definition of heaven itself. Such a Stepford existence is a less than stimulating proposition to the Watchdog though.

Tea parties -- historic and contemporary -- demonstrate that we are a nation of dissenters who demand our voices be heard. You may not agree with those voices all the time -- in fact, in this country, it's IMPOSSIBLE to agree with them all of the time. Our bravest sons and daughters have died on this soil and in foreign countries to further the ideal that indeed, all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Rights like freedom of speech -- especially dissenting speech because suppression of dissent is the death knell of free speech. What happens then? One of those guys carved into Mount Rushmore had a prediction . . .

"If the freedom of speech is taken away, 

then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." 

-- George Washington