Are you a flat earther? You know, someone who doubts the reality of man-made global warming. If you are, you might find yourself in need of a lawyer — at least that could be the case if the recommendations of a group of professors ever become reality.
A group of 20 university professors are hoping the federal government will prosecute global warming skeptics. They expressed this idea in a letter to the Obama earlier this month where they compared those who doubt man-made global warming to the tobacco industry:
We appreciate that you are making aggressive and imaginative use of the limited tools available to you in the face of a recalcitrant Congress. One additional tool—recently proposed by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse—is a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) investigation of corporations and other organizations that have knowingly deceived the American people about the risks of climate change, as a means to forestall America’s response to climate change… The methods of these organizations are quite similar to those used earlier by the tobacco industry. A RICO investigation played an important role in stopping the tobacco industry from continuing to deceive the American people about the dangers of smoking. If corporations in the fossil fuel industry and their supporters are guilty of the misdeeds that have been documented in books and journal articles, it is imperative that these misdeeds be stopped as soon as possible so that America and the world can get on with the critically important business of finding effective ways to restabilize the Earth’s climate, before even more lasting damage is done.
Now just to be sure you understand, these environmental extremist left-wing loons no longer consider this a simple difference of opinion. They are saying that denying global warming should be a punishable crime.
As my friends at HotAir.com so accurately point out, this is just the latest example of how the left wants to use government power to crack down on those who disagree with them. Some recent examples include:
- Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva tried to find out who was giving research funding to seven professors who denied global warming.
- California Congressman Adam Schiff tried to make it legal for civil suits against gun manufacturers.
- Houston Mayor Annise Parker tried to get the sermons of pastors who didn’t agree with a Houston Equal Rights Ordinance that would have allowed men to use women’s restrooms.
- Democrats sued in 2011 trying to get the Federal Election Commission to reveal who donated what during the 2010 election.
- Obama even considered an executive order earlier this year to force federal contractors to disclose if they’re involved in a Political Action Committee.
This effort to silence anyone who disagrees with “settled science” is a serious issue, despite what people might think. The Patriot Act was supposed to be a good way to protect Americans from terrorism, but in the hands of Obama it has been abused. Who’s to say it couldn’t happen again with another well-intended law meant to “protect us?”
George Marshall and Leonard H. Courtney once said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” And so we must ask the question: Will we surrender on this or will we be vigilant and see it for what it is—an attempt to steal away another piece of our liberty?
David Leach is the owner and publisher of The Strident Conservative where he is proudly politically-incorrect and always “right.” He is also a frequent contributor at RedState.com.
His political commentaries can be heard daily on KLZ560 AM and other Crawford Broadcasting stations.
Contact him at david@stridentconservative.com
