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 & Needs 'Freedom of Speech Act' |
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By Jack Nichols
Washington, D.C.—Senator Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.) a living caricature of the Republican Party's losing strategy of 'moralistic self-righteousness' and whose bizarre homophobic and AIDS-phobic reputation is now legendary, has introduced, in the guise of free speech , what he calls the 'Freedom of Speech Act' in order to allow persons such as himself working for the U.S. Government to express unfounded prejudices and their zealot's sense of "moral" outrage against women or men who openly admit to expressing same-sex love or affection.
Washingtonians expressed wonder over whether his new bill is how Senator Helms interprets—in the wake of the GOP's failed impeachment attempt—getting back to the 'business of the nation'. Addressing the President of the U.S. Senate, Helms took aim at President Clinton's non-discrimination Executive Order covering sexual orientation and which seems set to remain in place at least during Democratic administrations. "I am also pleased to introduce the Freedom of Speech Act," the North Carolina Republican said, " which makes sure that federal employees are not forced to check their moral beliefs at the door when they arrive at the federal workplace."
Being unable to express prejudices such as he has done while in government service sets up a red-flag-situation for the mean-spirited charging bull that is Jesse Helms. He groans: "President Clinton has instructed Federal agencies and departments to implement a policy that treats homosexuals as a special class protected under various titles of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This necessarily prevents federal employees who have strong religious or moral objections to homosexuality from expressing those beliefs without running afoul of what amounts to a workplace speech code. "Apparently, when the President's desire to write his belief system into federal workplace regulations conflicted with the First Amendment right to free speech, the Constitution lost. "Congress should jealously protect its Constitutional prerogative to make laws, and prevent the executive branch from creating special protections for homosexuals, particularly in a way that doesn't take into account the Constitutional right of freedom of speech enjoyed by all Federal employees. That is the purpose of the legislation I offer today.
"Mr. President, for many years the homosexual community has engaged in a well-organized, concerted campaign to force Americans to accept, and even legitimize, an immoral lifestyle. This bill is designed to prevent President Clinton from advancing the homosexual agenda at the expense of both the proper legislative role and the free speech rights of Federal workers. S. 45 "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. "This Act may be cited as the 'Freedom of Speech Act'. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION. "(a) In General: No agency, officer, or employee of the executive branch of the Federal Government shall issue, implement, or enforce any policy establishing an additional class of individuals that is protected against discrimination in Federal employment, other than a class of individuals specifically identified in a provision of Federal statutory law that prohibits employment discrimination against the class, including – "(1) title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.); (2) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 621 et seq.); and (3) title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791 et seq.) or title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12111 et seq.). (b) Prohibition on Use of Federal Funds: No agency, officer, or employee of the executive branch of the Federal Government shall use Federal funds to issue, implement, or enforce a policy described in subsection (a), including implementing and enforcing Executive Order 13087, including any amendment made by such order." |
