The Kent-Brown Speech

YAWN...

The Conservative Club and the local lefties are playing games with each other again, and the majority is saying "play nicely now children." Every sixth grader knows that intelligent free speech is important. We only wish the appearance of South African Vice Consul Duke Kent-Brown was an example of it. Instead it is the latest round in the ongoing left-right squabble. The Conservative Club brings in a speaker to mouth the same old lines. The liberals protest with the same old slogans.

Whatever it is, the latest go-around on South Africa is certainly not a debate. A debate is usually an informative, intelligent exchange of views. The ideologues are neither informative nor intelligent. They keep telling us what we already know, how they feel about South Africa. There are still intelligent, little-heard arguments that give new perspective to the debate over South Africa, but neither side is making them.

Squabbling by posturing and repeating stale lines does not add much to any discussions of politics or values. To be meaningful, free speech should not be trivial. The latest round in the squabble over South Africa is simply petty.