Freedom of Speech, Just Watch What You Say

The title of this article links you to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times about Steve Gardner, "The 10th Brother".

Steve Gardner was one of 12 boat crewmembers on Senator John Kerry's swift boat in Vietnam. He was the only one to speak out against Kerry as one of the members of the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth PAC. Gardner made it his business to see that Kerry was not elected Commander in Chief. For this act of "free speech", his financial privacy was threatened and he was summarily fired from his job. Gardner claims he is broke now and can't afford to sue his former company.

Millennium Information Services (MIS), Gardner's former company has abjectly denied having fired him for political cause. MIS states that the position Gardner once held is no longer necessary. However, Gardner maintains that the company has been advertising for a replacement for that "unnecessary" job. Steve Hurley, the man whom allegedly threatened Gardner with, "You better watch your step. We can look into your finances," has now denied have ever uttered those words.

So whom should we believe?

I have to admit, my heart tells me Gardner isn't lying about what's happened to him or the reasons it's happened. However, let's pretend I didn't have an inherent bias against John Kerry, this story sounds all too much like other tales of people crossing the wrong politician or operative and being soundly crushed.

Here's an example from the other side of the isle. There once was a promising politician from Houston name Lena Guerrero. Lena Guerrero was elected to the Texas state legislature at the politically tender age of 25. Guerrero was also instrumental in victorious gubernatorial campaign if Ann Richards. In 1992, Ann Richards returned the favor by tapping Guerrero, whom at the time was running for the Texas Railroad Commission--a powerful body that regulates oil and gas interests in the state, and regularly serves as a springboard to higher political office, to speak at the 1992 Democratic National Convention. USA featured her on a list of future female candidates for President. Guerrero was quite popular with her constituency had held much grace in the face of what could sometimes be brutal politics. Allegedly, during a Q & A with the press, one reporter asked her to reveal her bra size. She responded by saying, "Finally, something I know something about." Cue rim shot.

So what happened? Karl Rove, that's what happened.

Karl Rove, the political consultant and policy guru of President George W. Bush, got a hold of her college transcripts. Apparently, Guerrero had lied about her academic resume--she had never graduated college or received a Phi Beta Kappa key, and she failed classes on Texas government and Mexican-Americans in the Southwest. Needless to say, nobody in the political arena has heard from Guerrero since.

This is what I mean; it's not unheard of to crush someone’s livelihood, especially when they aren't someone politically important. You can smear anyone in this country at any time for any price. What's the message is out there, that's all she wrote. Even if you are innocent, you're guilty. One has to ask themselves in matters of integrity, "Is fighting this person or doing this thing worth losing everything I've worked?" In short, can you fight city hall?

No, you can't, especially if city hall has a media empire behind it.