A COLUMN BY Dick Rolfe Chairman, THE DOVE FOUNDATION

October 1996

Support Free Speech - Wear a Ribbon!

In a time when there is a ribbon for every cause, the issue of Free Speech is no different. I noticed a crop of blue ribbons appearing on web sites throughout cyberspace. Upon further examination, I discovered they represent a cry by so-called First Amendment advocates for free speech over censorship, especially on the Internet.

Speaking of ribbons, before pinning a ribbon to your lapel or hanging one from your car antenna, be careful the color you choose. You may be supporting an agenda other than the one you intended. There's the white ribbon against pornography and the "yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree" for prisoners of war. The red ribbon has been adopted by a variety of causes including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, antidrug forces and AIDS awareness advocates.

The 'blue ribbon' folks want us to commit all forms of expression, including words, pictures and music, to the free and open access of all members of the public. They argue that to suppress or censor material is to move toward Fascism. While that may be true, taking us too far down the other road is equally as dangerous. Maintaining that the rights of the individual supersede those of the community ultimately leads to Anarchy.

I believe in the First Amendment. It guarantees me the right to practice my faith without persecution. It also permits me to criticize the media. However, I believe we must season all of our freedoms with a sense of responsible citizenship. To that end, I was delighted to see another colored ribbon show up recently on the World Wide Web. The following quote is from Zondervan Publishing, the source of the new Green Ribbon:

You can check them out at: http://www.zondervan.com/green.htm

"As the world's leading Christian publisher, Zondervan Publishing House recognizes that the right to free speech is one of the most important and fundamental rights of liberty. We support the right to free speech in all its forms. We also call for responsibility in exercising this right."

Zondervan bases its Green Ribbon Campaign on three main precepts:

1. Freedom of speech is our constitutional right. Carefully exercising that freedom is our moral responsibility.
2. Words have power. The right word at the right time uplifts, inspires, corrects, instructs.
3. Good citizens know they're accountable for their actions as well as their words.

I support free speech. But, more importantly, I support the Green Ribbon approach to free speech, emphasizing that all of our freedoms flourish in a society where the citizens embrace personal integrity and exercise personal responsibility.

Steve Allen told the press recently, "I abhor censorship, but if the entertainment industry does not clean up its act, it deserves to have censorship imposed from without."

We should work together to protect our freedoms and at the same time exercise proper restraint. As someone once said, "We should never become so open-minded that our brains fall out."

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Dick Rolfe is Chairman of The Dove Foundation a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production and distribution of wholesome family entertainment. For more information about wholesome films and videos, write: 535 E. Fulton, Suite 1A, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, or call (616)454-5024.

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Updated by: Scott Rolfe
IT Director,
The Dove Foundation

Copyright © 1996, The Dove Foundation. All rights reserved.