False Flag Operations

For those of us conservative types who have elected to stay with Blogger, it does not inspire confidence to know that our host, Google, often reacts blindly to "flags" of those who may not share our points of view on certain topics.

Especially homosexuality.

Google's blog hosting service, Blogger.com, admits that in the name of "free speech" some of its blogs are "offensive, harmful, inaccurate," but when one of its clients blogged in opposition to a transgender rights bill, Google drew the line.

A day before the Massachusetts Legislature plans to review a controversial gender identity bill, Blogger.com blocked the blog of MassResistance, an organization that exposes the increasingly open agenda of the homosexual movement in Massachusetts, with a warning that some of the content may be "objectionable," requiring readers to confirm their intent to visit.

"Some readers of this blog have contacted Google because they believe this blog's content is objectionable," the warning reads. "In general, Google does not review nor do we endorse the content of this or any blog. For more information about our content policies, please visit the Blogger Terms of Service."

MassResistance blogger Amy Contrada, however, writes that the only potentially "objectionable" items on the blog are photos taken in public settings and her group's politically incorrect viewpoints.

"We publish only facts, 'uncomfortable truths,' not rumors or personal attacks," Contrada writes on her blog. "And obviously, our photos reveal the ugly truth. Then, we identify those public figures who are twisting the law to enable public perversion and subversion of our youth and culture."

Apparently the publicity got MassResistance off the warning label treatment, as I had no problem in accessing their site.

As long as a website is not advocating violence, I don't think there is any reason why Google or any other hosting service should attempt even a quasi-censorship of its material.

Maybe this would be a good time to require all those who "flag" blogs to provide specific links to objectionable content that could be quickly reviewed and judged, instead of merely taking them at their word. When it comes to free speech, censorship should always be a last resort, and only in cases where there is proven physical malice, not merely the danger of opposing points of view.