I know Liberals and Conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, and Capitalists and Socialists have their many disagreements. After Mississippi and North Carolina passed laws that the LGBT community and many others found controversial and discriminatory there have been debates all over the place, including FanStory.

If I have offended anyone during this time, believe that was not my intent. Sometimes when people disagree, emotions are bruised.

As those on the opposite side feel deeply that they are on the right side, so does those who dissent. The two things I and many others have really been worried about are: causes being high jacked by extremists who will use an issue in the name of diversity and protecting minorities to seize power, rewrite or ignore laws and limit everyone’s rights.  I am reminded of the classic warning tales I’m sure many of us have read: A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley in 1931, Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell in 1945 & 1949 to name just a few.

In those novels the frightening and dystopian futures didn’t come about overnight; they happened bit by bit. This is my and others second concern; that slippery slope that always seems to follow good intentions.

Many people do not believe in that slippery slope. They didn’t believe it in ancient Rome.  Native Americans didn’t believe it when they fed hungry pilgrims. They didn’t believe it in Germany when a young man told them what they wanted to hear.  Japanese-Americans didn’t believe it during World War Two.  They did not believe it in New York, but they are starting to believe it today.
 
Yesterday, less than a week following President Obama’s rewriting of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, adding transgender ‘protections’ and threatening public schools by withholding of federal funds and filing law suits if they didn’t make all restrooms and locker rooms gender neutral that slippery slope crept from the shadows. In New York City Mayor De Blasio has issued a city-wide command to all employers and landlords (public or private):

Anyone who provides jobs or housing must use an individuals' preferred gender pronouns. Gender expression may not be distinctively male or female and may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities. Violators could face fines of up to $250,000 if the violation is deemed to be the result of malicious intent.

Yes, Freedom of Speech, a right deemed so important that it was made the first amendment to the US Constitution was just tossed out the window by the Mayor of the largest, most populous city in America, Mayor Bill De Blasio (D). Also, private ownership was tossed in the can too. But don’t worry. It was done to protect the sensitive feelings of 0.3 percent of the population. Yes, now 99.7 % had better watch what they say and watchout for who may be listening or recording. What will be done next and what rights will have to go to protect someone’s feelings? What words and thoughts are next to be deemed offensive by our new lords and masters?

This is not a joke. This is real and has happened. Everyone, on all sides, should be alarmed. Freedom of speech is how and  why we can write on this site. It is under attack!