‘General! Shut your mouth … Sir!’

It’s quite amazing, isn’t it, this “freedom of speech” that we have. It’s guaranteed in the Constitution. You can say anything you want, anywhere – just don’t yell fire in a theater.

Actually, it’s a little more complicated than that. Nowadays, you can say anything you want unless someone, somewhere might be offended by what you say.

What does that mean?

Well, sir, it means anything the offended person might want it to mean. Sort of like “is.”

Mention God in a school? Well, no. Can’t do that.

Wear a cross at work? Well, no. Hanging decorations on your body is a form of “speech” too.

Say grace before your meal at college? Uh-uh.

Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance as it has been said by millions for the last 49 years? Well, almost “uh-uh.” The Supreme Court is mulling that one over.

Call a terrorist a terrorist? Uh, sorry. No. Can’t do that. Wouldn’t want to offend people of the same belief as the terrorist.

What? How can that be? We know who’s behind terrorism. Specifically, Islamic terrorism. That’s the terrorism bragged about by the likes of Osama bin Laden. He’s still declaring jihad against the U.S. and the West. We see tapes and hear him gloating about the destruction of the World Trade Center. We saw the celebrating in the streets over the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in this country on that fateful day.

Actually we only saw those pictures in the news until the powers that be in TV management decided that kind of “free speech” might hurt someone’s feelings and so they stopped broadcasting the video.

For the same reasons, they stopped showing the video of people jumping out of the towers, and finally stopped the rebroadcast of the towers collapsing.

There are those who might call that political censorship but, gee, that accusation might hurt someone’s feelings. But that doesn’t mean I won’t think it’s censorship because that’s exactly what it is.

The difference is it’s an “accepted” censorship, because if we saw those pictures, we might get angry at the perpetrators of the mayhem. Specifically, Islamist terrorists. And getting angry at them is a “no-no.”

We’ve also heard other rants about the gripes of the terrorists against the West. We’ve also seen people investigated and arrested for complicity in the 9-11 and other terrorist attacks perpetuated by the same groups.

They are Islamic terrorists – like it or not, they are Muslims and they say they do it to avenge Allah.

We watch as money is tracked across the world – it is raised and laundered and moved and donated to support worldwide terrorist activities. One need only look at a map of the wars on this planet today to see clearly that the bulk of them involve followers of Islam fighting against Christians, Jews and any form of democracy.

Hey, be careful now, someone might get offended.

You’re right, they might. But they shouldn’t.

No American authorities have said that all Muslims are terrorists, but there’s no doubt that Islamist terrorists are indeed Muslims. That means, some Muslims are terrorists.

Can we say that? Won’t someone be offended?

Well, gee. Why do you ask such difficult questions? But yes, someone might be offended. But it’s factual. And we do have freedom of speech. Right?

Yes, of course. But … but … it really depends on who hears what you say. Actually, it really depends on HOW they hear what you say.

That makes it difficult to figure out what to say, when, how and to whom. Bottom line, it means that the West, specifically, the United States and every single one of its citizens better watch their lips. This rule especially applies to anyone who in any way is a government official.

So we have the sad spectacle of an American military man, Lt. Gen. William Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defense, dragged across the carpet last week for what he said in speeches to Christian religious groups.

What did he say?

He said we’re a Christian nation with Judeo-Christian roots. We’re in a battle against Satan and God will not fail us. He also said, in reference to a Muslim warlord in Somalia in 1993, that “my god was a real god and his was an idol.”

Oops. Can’t go around saying things like that. No one is bigger or better than anyone else. What do you mean Christians have God on their side? What an outrage that a military man might believe in God and actually talk about it publicly.

Freedom of speech, indeed – for thee but not for me.

Keep your eye on those homeland color alerts.