Silencing the Voice of Opposition

"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear."
-- Harry S. Truman, message to Congress, August 8, 1950


Barney Frank twisted the student's question into an accusation and an attack so as to demonize the student and to avoid the question. Many in the audience supported and applauded Mr. Frank's clever manipulation of the situation. An excellent example of how to avoid accountability and responsibility.

"Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage." - Winston Churchill

It's a good thing that we (currently) have a Constitution protecting free speech - as Barney Frank had to quickly and verbally remind himself - otherwise he would have that Harvard student tossed out - possibly arrested and expelled.

First Steps Toward Socialism