Here Comes Sharia!

     The mass shooting of innocent people by two would-be terrorist assassins in Garland, Texas out side a freedom of speech festival whose highlight was a "Draw Mohamed" contest, was derailed by a patrolman with a service revolver. And although some may say that the most disturbing aspect of this attempted terrorism on American soil is that it illustrates just how far into American society terrorist groups like ISIS have made inroads, some are blaming the intended victims in this thwarted act of terrorism.
     Pamela Geller, the event's sponsor, has rightly accused the media, et al of complicity of imposition of Sharia Law by insisting that anything that might provoke radical Islamists to violence, like the drawing a picture of Mohamed, should be avoided by Americans. In other words these self-appointed surrenders of free speech rights have, in the words of Ms. Geller, "Used the language of the conquered," in blaming her and her attendees for the attempted wanton barbarism of the two men shot and killed before they could carry out their evil intent.
     What frightens me more than ISIS on American soil are those in and out of the media that somehow have concluded that the founders of this great nation meant to exempt any criticism of Islam from the practice of First Amendment rights. These foolhardy persons advocate for America the brave to become America the acquiescent. They believe that the high ideal of free speech is responsible for the evil that men commit. In their willful ignorance they believe that mitigating free speech rights of Americans will lead to fewer evil acts by the devotees of radical Islam.
     But this latest attempt by the Left to use an act of terrorism, and blame it on its victims, is also illustrative of their war on free speech specifically, and the constitution in general. It is not a picture of Mohamed, Christians in the Middle East, United States troops on Arab lands, or even American support for the state of Israel that motivates terrorist attacks by radical Islamists. As a top official of Al Qaeda once said, they do not make war on the West because they want something from us, but because of who we are.
     And who we are, or at least who we used to be, is a people with a deep and unbending belief in personal Liberty, self-government, and the natural rights that come from God. One of those natural rights is that of free speech, which can not be simply traded away for some false notion of keeping the barbarians from attacking. In the rush, mostly on the Left, to trade our Liberty for security they have forgotten the wise counsel of Benjamin Franklin who said those who would do that deserve neither Liberty or security.