PAX Centurion - January / March 2016

Page 24 • PAX CENTURION • January/March 2016 617-989-BPPA (2772) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is proud to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Great dental care is a labor of love. the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association. support homophobic, crude, lewd, pornographic, etc. (As one Supreme Court Justice famously said about pornography “I don’t know how to define it, but I know it when I see it.”) The problem arises when somebody who doesn’t like your personal opinion – or harbors a personal grudge – begins to wag the fickle finger of racism, sexism, or any other of a host of “ism’s” and claim their hurt or offended feelings should result in the censoring of the speaker’s opinion and some form of punishment be enjoined to ensure the speaker’s future submission to politically-correct authority. An officer inAreaA told me that he was accused of being a “racist” when he spoke out in the station negatively about former Gov. Deval Patrick. A Sergeant had to interject to end the argument. It appears that opposition to legislative policies of Deval Patrick – (many of them anti-police) – alone and in and of themselves – begat the nefarious charge of racism. That is sad, especially amongst police officers, but the story is becoming all too common. This editor is all too familiar with attempts to silence the Pax Centurion by those who believe that police officers should be submissive, meek, and acquiesce to political correctness and political authority. The Pax has existed since 1968 as the lone vehicle for Boston Police Officers to express our collective frustrations and opinions. To say that we are a thorn in the side of the politically correct and politically wired is a mild understatement. We have been attacked by politicians, community activists, radicals, hackers and major media sources such as the Globe, Herald and the Phoenix. Both the Globe and the Phoenix frequently raised the red-herring charge of “racism!” against the BPPA and the Pax. Of course, when asked to provide specific examples, they cannot; because such examples of racism exist nowhere except in their own biased attitudes. (The Phoenix went out of business, the Globe is the red- headed stepchild of the NewYork Times, and the Pax Centurion is still printing, thank you very much….) Those who are calling for the head of the firefighter inWeymouth or the Police Sergeant in Detroit would do well to take a step back and think. Tomorrow, your opinion may be out of favor, and if current trends continue, YOU could be the target of the censor’s fickle finger. History repeats itself, over and over. In Salem, Mass. in 1692, a group of hysterical young girls began accusing neighbors and enemies of being witches. Fear silenced otherwise good people, who wondered whether they would be next if they confronted their accusers with truth and facts. Many people were hung or banished before the hysteria ended, and that happened only when the Massachusetts Governor’s own wife was targeted. Then, and only then, did people stop and ask, “What if it were me?” Today’s politically-correct “Crucible” bears many similarities to 1692 Salem. Change the accusation of “witch” to “racist”: how does one defend oneself from this “Have you stopped beating your wife?” type of charge? We’re heading down a dangerous road; censoring and punishing first responders who express their opinions while off-duty and not in the performance of their duties. I forget at the moment who said it, but “I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.” (I’m paraphrasing). Be careful what you wish for, those who advocate for restrictions on first-responder’s speech rights: the slope is slippery. From First Amendment on page 23 Does First Amendment cover First Responders too?