Dear Editor,

Our beloved, once sacred, Constitution guarantees that all citizens have freedom of speech. Speech is to be limited only by the restriction of not harming others. Beyond this, people are permitted to say whatever they wish, including language that some consider offensive. Our government has determined that this right extends beyond the simple utterance of words, to include certain actions. The action of burning our American flag has been construed as “speech”. Obscene, government sponsored “art” (a Crucifix soaking in a urine-filled jar) has likewise been deemed to represent “speech”. An observant shopper could see many obscenity/profanity-laced bumper stickers adorning vehicles in parking lots of shopping centers.

I was extremely dismayed to learn that someone took it upon him/herself to restrict freedom of speech at our recently concluded Warren County Fair. This was accomplished by an autonomous decision that the good citizens in attendance did not have the right to purchase some perfectly legal merchandise. Vendors were advised that any attempted sale of an article containing or referring to a Confederate flag would result in their immediate removal from the Fair grounds and their business being barred from re-entry. Someone decided that he/she would be the judge and jury in deciding what citizenry could purchase. So much for freedom of speech.

Understand that the offer of said merchandise in no way represented any level of government endorsement for any facet of the Confederacy, its leadership, or its misguided ideals.

Let me inject here that I have no desire whatsoever to purchase Confederate flag merchandise. I did, however, don a military uniform for twenty-two years to protect the right of interested citizens to do so. So why was said merchandise banned? Simply because someone might be offended. Simply because anti-Confederacy sentiment is currently in vogue, our history and freedom of speech be damned. News flash: the American Civil War happened. Slavery was evil, but it happened. If this offends you, I’m sorry, but get over it. Stop trying to erase or re-write our history.

So what’s next on the list of banning? Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. openly opposed homosexuality. Will any merchandise depicting him be deemed offensive and be banned? Native Americans lost their lands and were forced onto reservations by the U.S. government. Some are offended by our national banner, the Stars & Stripes. How long before it is banned in the interest on not offending. The “let’s not offend anyone” movement has gotten out of hand. I am offended by the blossoming, blooming and celebration of rampant immorality at every turn in America, but I have no choice but to endure it.

Let’s face it being offended is a fact of life. Mama should have taught you this at an early age. Failure to learn this used to result in a frustrating life. Today it is rectified by the simple squelching of Constitutional rights. Good-bye freedom of speech.

Semper FLY (I was Air Force)

Dale T. Honhart,

Russell