Britain's Savage free speech attack

Earlier this year, Michael Savage, the third most popular radio talk show host in America, was placed on a list of people banned from entering Great Britain. Why? Because anyone who Jacqui Smith (Home Secretary at the time) said caused "inter-community tension" would be put on such a list. This list included Russian skinheads, murderers, terrorists and a conservative commentator. One of these doesn't fit.

Savage's radio show covers an eclectic range of subjects from politics to food. Unfortunately, far left organizations like Media Matters have taken excerpts of Savage's shows out of context and painted him as a hateful person. Yes, he is a conservative radio host, but the difference between Savage and commentators like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity is that Savage doesn't pander to either party, and doesn't shed crocodile tears like Glenn Beck. His show is also independently syndicated and isn't on a payroll at CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS or Fox News. This might explain why the major networks gave the story scant coverage and why his competitors don't dare mention his name.

Several serious questions must be asked: How could a country like England, where Savage isn't syndicated, find out about him? And why would they put a radio commentator on this list? There are several hypotheses behind why Savage is banned from a supposed western democracy. The obvious theory is that the ideas Savage espouses are contradictory to recent government inclinations toward European internationalism. In other words, we should just become conglomerate entities, like the European Union, as opposed to nations. Another theory is that Smith needed to even out the list, because the majority of people on the list were predominately Muslim terrorists. So in a perverse effort at political correctness, she added Savage, who also happens to be Jewish. This could just be a coincidence, but there are plenty of other, more notable conservative talk show hosts: So why this one?

Savage is extreme at times and I don't agree with him on every issue, but Savage has been on the air three hours a day, five days a week for the past fifteen years. Now if you had an eclectic show centered around politics, you're telling me that you're not going to say a few things that might offend somebody? And even if you're offended by someone's words, wouldn't you defend their right to free speech? Imagine a country banning Bill Maher because he said things that happen to offend Catholics. It would be completely preposterous. Just as I watch a show like "Real Time with Bill Maher," I also listen to a show like "The Savage Nation," because one of the great things about this country is that we can hear both sides of the issues. To prohibit someone from coming to your land because they don't fall in line with your political philosophy is the antithesis of freedom.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his administration should be ashamed of themselves. The level of corruption combined with their fascistic tendencies is a disgusting display from a group of political hacks from such a great country. Fortunately, Mr. Brown looks like he will be losing by a landslide come the next election.

Cambridge University recently invited Savage to a debate on political correctness via video link, but canceled the invitation because the video link would have been too expensive to set up. It's hard to believe that the university couldn't have rustled up the cash, but such is the state of honest discourse. One debate with Savage probably would have led to a revolt against the already unpopular British government. You can go to michaelsavage.com to sign Savage's legal defense fund and help defend free speech. Keep in mind the words of Voltaire: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."