Free Speech Versus Hate Speech and Protecting America’s Vulnerable Power Grid

On August 30, 2022, Kim Monson welcomes Liberty Toastmasters Denver for their signature discussion day, this time tackling the contentious topic of free speech versus hate speech. In the second hour, documentary filmmaker David Tice sounds the alarm about America’s vulnerable electric grid, while Kim Ware from Christian Home Educators of Colorado discusses educational alternatives for families.

The Battle Over Political Rhetoric and Free Expression

Start listening at 0:34 – Hour 1

Josh Lallement, president of Liberty Toastmasters Denver, joins Kim in studio to examine how political discourse has deteriorated into name-calling and propaganda. The discussion opens with a montage of cable news clips labeling Republicans as fascists, terrorists, and members of a death cult, prompting a broader conversation about the nature of political speech in America.

Lallement observes that the inflammatory rhetoric serves primarily to divide Americans and prevent genuine dialogue. He notes that while both sides engage in name-calling, the practice cheats everyone from having meaningful conversations about ideas and policies. The Toastmasters segment brings in callers who share perspectives on maintaining civil discourse while standing firm on constitutional principles.

“That’s the nature of our political discourse right now. Propaganda. You have to make the other side look really bad, and then all collective, so that if even have an opinion about one side, or if you have a friends of one side, or you can’t have that because you know it is, it’s really about dividing us.”

Josh Lallement, President, Liberty Toastmasters Denver

Defining Hate Speech and Its Costs

Start listening at 34:00 – Hour 1

Christie Whaley argues that hate speech, like hate crimes, is simply speech that powerful institutions find objectionable. She points to examples of employees losing jobs for saying “all lives matter” and elderly women being expelled from facilities for questioning gender ideology in locker rooms.

Whaley makes a compelling observation that free speech has become costly for conservatives while remaining consequence-free for those on the political left. She urges listeners to overcome their reluctance to speak out, noting that silent agreement with overreach enables further erosion of rights.

“Free speech has become quite costly these days. For instance, the coach I just mentioned, he loses his job for saying all lives matter. Unfortunately, these people on the left don’t have to pay the price. So it’s not costly for them.”

Christie Whaley, Liberty Toastmasters

Constitutional Foundations of Free Expression

Start listening at 42:00 – Hour 1

Greg Morrissey, an American by choice who immigrated from Australia, emphasizes the importance of constitutional literacy in combating speech restrictions. He encourages all Americans to read and understand the Constitution as the foundation for productive dialogue.

“Read the Constitution. Get to know the history of the country and keep that going. Don’t let it go.”

Greg Morrissey, Liberty Toastmasters Longmont

Good and Evil in Political Speech

Start listening at 46:00 – Hour 1

Rick Rome, former president of Liberty Toastmasters Denver, frames the debate in moral terms. He argues that evil uses speech to serve its own purposes, always couching harmful agendas in feel-good language. Rome cites immigration policy as an example where compassionate rhetoric masks drug cartel control of the border, human trafficking, and fentanyl deaths.

Rome shares a powerful lesson from his parochial school teacher about how questioning authority, including God, is the mechanism by which truth is revealed. He suggests that challenging false narratives through free speech is essential to defeating deception.

“The goal is to create silence, to keep, because evil only thrives in the dark as soon as it’s challenged, it’s light shed on it and tends to wither and die.”

Rick Rome, Former President, Liberty Toastmasters Denver

Speech, Thought, and the First Amendment

Start listening at 51:00 – Hour 1

Dave Walden provides philosophical grounding for the free speech debate. He notes that speech is the first evidence of conceptual thought, and that restricting speech is fundamentally an attempt to prevent thought itself. The First Amendment’s placement at the beginning of the Bill of Rights reflects the founders’ understanding that speech is foundational to all other liberties.

“The ability to speak requires thought. And if you’re going to somehow impugn speech that you don’t like or you find particularly offensive, you are actually discrediting thought. You are trying to prevent thought.”

Dave Walden, Liberty Toastmasters Longmont

Candidate Perspective on Discourse

Start listening at 31:00 – Hour 1

Anthony Hartsook, a 26-year Army veteran running for Colorado House District 44, connects the free speech debate to his campaign themes. He emphasizes personal responsibility in political discourse and criticizes the exclusion of parents from educational discussions under the guise of preventing hate speech.

“We need to take a step back, back to personal responsibility and say, hey, let’s have a discussion. We don’t need to call names. We don’t need to say, you know, you’re a hateful person. But it’s okay to have a different philosophy and discuss about it, find out what we have in common.”

Anthony Hartsook, Candidate for Colorado HD-44

America’s Vulnerable Electric Grid

Start listening at 68:48 – Hour 2

David Tice warns that America’s electric grid faces catastrophic threats from electromagnetic pulse attacks, solar flares, and physical sabotage. His documentary Grid Down, Power Up explains that electricity is the second most essential element to life after oxygen, more critical than water since municipal water systems depend on electrical power.

Tice cites the EMP Commission’s conclusion that 90 percent of Americans could die if the power grid failed for nine months. He explains that protecting the grid could cost as little as 10 billion dollars for basic hardening, a fraction of what California spends on its troubled high-speed rail project.

The documentary highlights Rangeley, Colorado, which received a 5 million dollar federal grant to create a microgrid protecting its water and wastewater systems. Tice argues this model could be replicated across the 410 municipal water systems that serve 92 percent of America’s population.

“Electricity is the second most important element to life. The most important element is oxygen to be able to breathe, and it’s actually more important than water because if we don’t have electricity, then our municipal water systems won’t work.”

David Tice, Producer, Grid Down Power Up

Educational Freedom and Parental Choice

Start listening at 94:00 – Hour 2

Kim Ware, outreach director for Christian Home Educators of Colorado, encourages parents to consider homeschooling as an alternative to government-run schools increasingly focused on equity rather than academics. She reminds parents that they successfully taught their children to walk and use the toilet, proving they have the capability to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic.

CHEC offers free resources and seminars to help families get started, with an upcoming event on October 15th in Castle Rock covering the legal requirements and practical aspects of homeschooling in Colorado.

“You are your child’s first and best teacher. You taught your child how to walk. It was innately in them, and you helped propel them forward. You potty trained your children. So if you can do those big tasks, you can certainly teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic.”

Kim Ware, Outreach Director, Christian Home Educators of Colorado