“Every person may freely speak, write, and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right.” - Arizona Constitution, Article 2, Section 6
I’m a free speech absolutist. The answer to offensive speech is
persuasive
counter argument, not
censorship. More speech, not less. Period.
On
April
6th,
an
on
point
editorial
by
Chadwick
Dolgos
at
Blaze
Media
calls
out
the
current
conservative
hypocrisy
on
“topics
that
deserve
debate”
but
make
many
on
the red team “uncomfortable”. Read it online at:
https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/we-say-we-want-free-speech-until-we-hear-something-we-hate
Dolgos’
words
could
not
have
been
more
timely
or
appropriate,
as
just
the
day
before I was ordered out of the Mohave County Republican Central Committee
(MCRCC) quarterly meeting, which as a Precinct Committeeman I am required to
attend,
just
because
I
refused
to
clap
like
a
trained
seal
for
guest
speaker
Tom Horne
and
instead
exercised
my
constitutional
free
speech
right
to
say
“booooo”. Recently elected MCRCC Chairman Jodi Saegesser, a
TX transplant who used to work for a
disgraced Congressman literally exposed for texting pictures of his
genitals,
angrily
demanded
to
know
what
my
problem
was.
Since
I
was
recognized
by the Chair, I rose, properly stated my name for the record, and said “
When I
was
the
1st
Vice
Chair
of
the
La
Paz
County
Republican
Committee
and
Mr.
Horne
was
the
Attorney
General
his
nonfeasance
in
office
endangered
my
life
”.
Saegesser
told
me
that
didn’t
matter
and
I
sat
back
down.
I
doubt
my
words
were even
heard
over
other
precinct
committeemen
trying
to
shout
me
down.
Saegesser did
not call the room to
order.
A
couple
of minutes later as I sat quietly the MCRCC Sergeant at
Arms, Tim Griepp,
leaned
over
into
my
husband’s
face
and
asked
to
speak
to
me.
I
told
him
everything
was
fine
and
that
I
had
said
my
piece,
but
he
just
kept
insisting
so
I
finally stood up and stepped into the
aisle where he informed me I had been ordered removed and suggested I leave
quietly.
As I walked out I stated to
those assembled that I was not leaving voluntarily and the room erupted into a cacophony
of
yelling
at
my
husband
and
I,
but
again
Chairman
Saegesser
did
not
call the room to order and she let the
unruly members yell at us.
A
couple of people even followed my husband
to the door in a threatening manner.
My
husband
then
posted
the
Noam
Chomsky
quote
at
the
top
of
page
7
in
the private MCRCC Facebook group,
commenting simply that PCs take an oath to uphold
the
Constitution
and
that
some
in
attendance
proved
they
were
frauds
due to their intolerant behavior. No
sooner had debate on free speech begun when someone moderating the group
disabled commenting. Thus proving his point.
Now,
my
husband
and
I
are
being
summoned
to
appear
before
a
non-statutory
ad
hoc
“Conduct
Committee”,
to
defend
ourselves
against
alleged
complaints
filed
by
fellow
PCs,
that
MCRCC
has
yet
to
provide
to
us.
Don’t
we
have
a
right
to
confront our accusers? Are these even
sworn notarized statements?
In 2021 as an elected State Committeeman, I was
on the floor at the
AZGOP annual
meeting
where
committeemen
booed
then
Governor
Doug
Ducey
for
several minutes straight, so there’s actual precedent.
Nevermind that Superintendent of Public
Instruction Horne is currently under fire
by
parents
for
“destroying
the
ESA
program”
and
“attacking
school
choice”
by approving
a
draft
handbook
that
contains
non
statutory
rules
and
arbitrary
spend
ing
limits
for
approved
items
and
programs.
Forget
that
ConsumerAffairs.com
published
a report last year showing Arizona ranked dead last for overall public
education.
Thou
shalt not
dissent,
and thou
shalt
not boo
an
elected
Republican with
a
bad
comb
over
no
matter
how
badly
he
performs.