May 07, 2013

Obama and Free Speech

In an editorial by Elisha Maldonado for International Business Times  analyzes the implications of President Obama's speech before the United Nations. He writes,
If President Barack Obama was serious last week when he addressed the United Nations, then he just quietly declared war on the First Amendment. If he wasn't serious, then he is pandering to murderous mobs who demanded that he denounce an obscure YouTube video critical of their faith.  
In his speech Obama argued that it was time to "marginalize" those whose speech was slanderous and hurtful. However, Maldonado observes that,
Link
"Slander" is speech. "Hate" usually takes the form of speech too. Is Obama calling on world leaders to join him in ridiculing nonviolent people whose speech he does not like? Or by “marginalization” does he mean something worse than tough words from the bully pulpit?