More Tolerant Left Squelches Free Speech... Again

Now, remember, the left is more tolerant. They are more caring, more civilized and more intelligent than you conservatives. OK? Now that we got that all straight, we can continue to inform you that uncivil leftist whiners in Connecticut have quashed someone's free speech, forcing them to pull out of a commencement speech at a high school. Remember... leftists are more interested in freedom than you Nazis on the right. I hope you remember that?

The AP gives us the story of the hatemongers and protesters at Choate Rosemary Hall, a "prestigious" prep school in Wallingford, CT, who have forced former presidential adviser Karl Rove to cancel plans to deliver the school's commencement speech this coming June.

You see, the left really cares about freedom of speech... unless its speech they don't much like, of course.

Following protests from students, former presidential adviser Karl Rove has withdrawn as this year's commencement speaker at a prestigious prep school, the school's headmaster said Monday.

The choice of Rove as speaker for the June commencement at Choate Rosemary Hall had led some students to plan to walk out of the ceremony. Others had sought to bring comedian Stephen Colbert to campus for an alternate speech.

Instead of commencement, Rove now will speak at the school on Feb. 11, headmaster Edward J. Shanahan said. Shanahan said he will deliver the commencement address at the school, the alma mater of John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson.

Obviously there are no adults in charge of this school of subversives if the powerless headmaster is going to allow the kids to dictate what goes on there. Just as obviously, they are learning a valuable lesson; whine like a petulant, foot-stomping child and you'll get your way. It doesn't matter if your argument has merit in this mode of "education," it matters more that you speak up and be heard -- free speech is king, you see? And then there's the other lesson that these whiners learned. Using your own free speech is the best weapon by which to eliminate the free speech of others.

Nice lesson plan there, Choate Rosemary Hall.

Now, the AP steps in to try and make like this story isn't one about a leftist hatred for free speech, but one where everyone is happy and content with the wonderfulness of the outcome.

Shanahan said he had asked seniors for their opinions on the proposed commencement speech and many said they wanted to hear from Rove--but at some time other than commencement.

Garsh, ain't it nice for them respectful students to want to hear from Mr. Rove "some other time"? Of course, you do realize that they imagine that there will be no other time, don't you? Once they eliminate Rove from the commencement, with that victory under their un-American belts they will eliminate him any other time.

Now to see more of the so-called headmaster's obvious spinectomey...

He said they also were concerned that outsiders might disrupt graduation if Rove appeared in June.

Yeah, let's avoid any kind of proof that you haven't the spine to head off any "disruption," eh? And isn't it amusing how they term these possible disrupters? AP calls them "concerned outsiders." Normal people call them buttinskies who have no business protesting, but AP decided to make nice and act as if such protests by "outsiders" at a private institution would somehow be a legitimate expression of "free speech."

As always, though, Karl Rove is a gentleman even in the face of this un-American attack on his ability to fulfill his invitation.

In an e-mail to students and staff Monday, Shanahan quoted Rove as saying: "I would not want 12 minutes of remarks to be used as an excuse by a small group to mar what should be a wonderful day of celebration for the members of the 2008 graduating class and their families, so I am delighted to instead accept Choate's invitation to speak on campus Feb. 11."

"He was more than understanding," Shanahan wrote to the students. "He was gracious and generous in his thinking about you and 'your day.'"

Too bad no one at this so-called school was as civilized and grown up as was Mr. Rove, including the feckless headmaster.

But, this is the sort of ignorance, hatred, oppression, and uncivilized behavior that we've come to expect from the more caring, more tolerant, more civilized left in the United States today. It is also the sort of inmates-running-the-asylum style of "administration" that has infested our fetid schools.

But remember. WE conservatives are the Nazis.

(A perfect opportunity to refer you to Jonah Goldberg's new book, "Liberal Fascism")