The idea that politicians should write laws restricting people critical of them is as perverse as the idea that the sprawling, opaque IRS bureaucracy should be assigned to construe and apply such laws. It is bad enough that there is the misbegotten Federal Election Commission to do what the First Amendment forbids — government regulation of the quantity, content and timing of political speech.
– George Will, author, syndicated columnist, TV pundit, historian
Hey, sponsors of NH SB120 (NH State Senator Jeb Bradley, NH State Senator Bob Odell, NH State Senator Sharon Carson, NH Rep Shawn Jasper, NH Rep Gary Richardson), are ya listenin’? Once again, we see Republicans (Richardson being the token Dem) not respecting the clear intent of the Constitution. Instead, we see the meme of “We can and will tie Free Speech into Political Knots” – and pulling the ladder up behind them via money limits and regulatory who-ha.
Political cowards – the courageous thing would be to completely eliminate ANY limits on political speech, per the plain and simple intent of the Framers. This IS the NH State Senate Republican Incumbent Protection Racket Act.
So NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn, what is the NH GOP position on limiting speech? After all, our Platform says:
- We believe that the New Hampshire and United States Constitutions were written by our forefathers to limit our government, not our freedom.
Yet, we see these Republicans doing just that – limiting our Freedom to speak out against politicians!
- We believe that individual liberty is guaranteed under the Constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire, that the liberty of the people must be protected above the power of the government, and that it is only through an adherence to our founding documents that we will continue to grow as a free, Constitutional Republic.
Once elected, politicans ARE our government – and yet, SB120 protects those same politicians against the citizenry’s outcries and protestations at the risk of severe fines and confiscation of their freedoms.
- We believe that the Founding Fathers gave the 1st Amendment its pre-eminent position with intent that religious freedom deserves to be protected.
And Free Speech is part of that pre-eminent position – so why, Chair Jennifer Horn, haven’t you spoken out against this legislation that runs roughshod over that Right? And you were the past present Platform Chair – you should know this better than anyone, right? Or are they merely words – but never allowed to interfere with politics? Especially when it is Republicans acting badly? You have a history of throwing Repubs speaking Politically Incorrect words under the bus (can’t have that mud splashing on you in attempts to show loyalty, eh?) – but how much worse is it to eliminate speech altogether??
The answer to bad speech is never less speech – it is ALWAYS more speech!
If you are unable or unwilling to defend THIS, our first Right for which Government is constituted in the first place, is it time to replace the Chair with someone who has the fortitude to protect the Platform and to protect the Brand? You are the Leader of the Party – and you can’t even stand up to these that would diminish our Rights?
What DOES the Party now stand for? I am really beginning to wonder…
