Good Enough For Government Work

It's said that one shouldn't look back. On the other hand, an occasional look back can tell us how far we still have to go. Today is the 318th anniversary of the publication in Boston of America's first newspaper. It had the unwieldy name of Public Occurences, Both Foreign and Domestic, and appeared for only one day before it was outlawed because the governor didn't like it. Back in 1690 the governor had the final word as to what got printed or speechified. Now we have a kid being banned from wearing a handmade t-shirt to school reading "Obama, Friend to Terrorists." His parents are screaming violation of the kid's freedom of speech. To which I say, what about the parents' total breakdown of intelligence, judgment, taste, fairness, decency, honesty, and respect? You have to earn free speech.