My response to Friday DMN letter

Here is the letter that got me fired up:

The new first lady of civil rights
Re: "On the Sidelines – Sheehan is arrested, removed from gallery," Wednesday news story.
This newspaper devoted 111 words to one of the most remarkable events to take place Tuesday, more remarkable than the grandiloquent rhetoric of President Bush's address.
Cindy Sheehan was arrested in the House chamber minutes before the State of the Union address, after already being seated. She was not being disorderly. She was wearing a constitutionally protected T-shirt that read, "2245 Dead. How many more?"
Regardless of what you think of Ms. Sheehan, her free speech was abridged. Moments before the president was to deliver a speech that extolled the virtues of democracy and civil liberties, our government used Stalinist tactics to censor Ms. Sheehan.
Any American who is not outraged is not a patriot.
On Monday, the first lady of the civil rights movement died. On Tuesday, the torch was passed to Cindy Sheehan.
- George Henson, Dallas


And my response:


If your definition of a “patriot” is someone who cohorts with anti-American dictators like Venezuelan President Chavez (as did Sheehan), or who claims the President of the United States is the world’s biggest terrorist (as did Sheehan), then I think I will count myself lucky that you do not consider me a “patriot”.

Your assertion that Mrs. Sheehan’s free speech was abridged is true - yet free speech is abridged every day across the U.S., and yet it isn’t deemed unconstitutional. I bet your employer would not allow you to wear shorts to work in order to “express your desire to be more relaxed”, or what about students on college campuses who can only protest in “free speech zones” – their free speech is certainly abridged. I am certain you can’t wear shorts to court - not even to pay a traffic ticket. Would you consider the municipal judge to be “Stalinist”?

Cindy Sheehan doesn’t have a free speech “right” to wear an anti-troop shirt to the State of the Union Address any more than the wife of Rep. Bill Young has to wear a pro-troop shirt (she was removed as well by the way). If the rules for that gathering specify a dress code, then you must obey or else you have the “right” not to attend.