Is The End Near For Free Thinking On The Internet?
A pair of articles posted within the past 24 hours raises disturbing questions regarding free speech as we know it on the Internet as well as 2nd Amendment rights
Michael S. Swenson
Underground Brooklyn
April 5, 2009
In an article posted on the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's website, 23-year-old Richard Poplawski, a gunman who murdered four police officers outside of his home, was a fan of Alex Jones' PrisonPlanet.com website.He was also a white supremacist.
According to the article (also covered by Raw Story), Poplawski "had been heavily influenced by extremist conspiracy theories prior to the incident ...convinced the nation was secretly controlled by a cabal that would eradicate freedom of speech, take away his guns and use the military to enslave the citizenry. ... He appeared to share a belief that the government was controlled from unseen forces, that troops were being shipped home from the Mideast to police the citizenry here, and that Jews secretly ran the country."
While many of his beliefs have actually been proven by numerous sources, not the least of which the mainstream media as well as government documents, the article paints Poplawski as a "conspiracy theorist", tying him (as well as Alex Jones' site) to white extremism and hate groups. Alex Jones has always been against white supremacist groups as well as hate groups, as he has stated on his show numerous times over the years.
In another disturbing article posted today by Raw Story, "In what should send a frightening chill down the spine of every blogger, writer, journalist and First Amendment advocate in the United States, Phoenix police raided the home of a blogger who has been highly critical of the department."
What these articles point to is a disturbing trend that is certainly taking shape across the United States. The incident in Pittsburgh, combined with the numerous mass shootings over the past three weeks nationwide, is certain to bring about stricter gun laws as well as tighter nooses around the neck of the 2nd Amendment. What's worse, the First Amendment is sure to receive heavy criticism as free thinkers are being compared to those who have committed seemingly random acts of violence.
An article posted on Infowars.com last month detailed the list of firearms President Obama plans on including in his proposed sweeping federal gun ban.
On the flip side of all of this however, it certainly appears that the "alternative media movement" is having an effect. For example, numerous celebrities, from Willie Nelson to Jesse Ventura to rapper KRS-1 have continuously spoken out against the false "left-right" paradigm pushed by the mainstream media. They have also heavily questioned the attacks of 9\11.
It's also no secret that alternative media websites such as PrisonPlanet.com, Infowars.com, and WhatReallyHappened.com have taken off in terms of popularity among the masses. These sites, considered at the top of the pyramid within the alternative media circle, have experienced heavy increases in traffic within just the past year and half.
Mainstream talk show hosts, (FOX News, particular) have come out with facts, once considered "taboo, extreme, conspiracy theories", such as FEMA Camps and corrupt political practices. In the clip below, in an interview with author Dick Morris, Sean Hannity questions the US political spectrum, stating "the conspiracy theorists were RIGHT!":
While there may be some good news stemming from the bad, the articles posted today certainly paint a disturbing picture for those who fight wholeheartedly for American values as well as Constitutional rights.
Sources for this Article:
Pittsburgh shooter was fan of online conspiracy theories
