Dreams of Kim Jong-un

The title of today's show is "Dreams of Kim Jong-un" and I want to tell you that I think the recent movie "The Interview" starring James Franco and Seth Rogen is one of the best films to come out in the last decade.

I say this, not because, The Interview, was a great cinematic masterpiece, because it's not that all. In fact, this film is in all actuality, just an average Seth Rogen farce, filled with fraternity style, sophomoric and titillating gags. Just you’re run of the mill, male bonding film, but that's not the point. I think the interview is a great film for what it stands for. The Interview is great because it stands for freedom of speech and expression in an increasingly intolerant age.

The Interview is great, because it ultimately calls to attention to the fact that Kim Jong-Un is an evil dictator who suppresses and subjugates his people like slaves. North Korea is a communist dictatorship of the worst sorts. Currently people are starving to death and living a subsistence existence in the horrible cult of personality. And irrespective of how immature The Interview is, it makes a point about how Kim Jong-Un is an idiot and Rogan and Franco and the producers of the movie should be commended.

Freedom of speech and democracy is under assault folks, not just in North Korea but recently we saw the evil and murderous assault on the offices of a French satirical magazine. This was an evil terrorist attack and atrocity that claimed the lives of 12 innocent people, including two police officers. Later an anti-Semitic attack occurred that claimed the lives of more innocent people. The people who carried out these acts of terrorism, that's right people, terrorism, were intolerant thugs who have no place in a free and democratic society where the free exchange of ideas is a cherished value.

I personally do not agree with the message of this French satirical magazine. I abhor its attack on a religious faith. But under the laws of France, such satire is legal. In any free and democratic society, where freedom of speech and expression is a cherished value like it is in France and the United States, there will always be things that offend us, but just because it offends does not mean we should not permit this.

In all honesty folks, I am a lot more conservative than I let on in my blogs, videos and podcasts. In fact, I am through and through a conservative evangelical Christian. I am a lifelong Republican with Libertarian views.  I feel it is necessary, in order to communicate my views in a relevant manner, I need to be innovative, controversial and step on toes on both the conservative and liberal side.

I personally do not like this French satire magazine. I abhor its message and the manner in which that communicate it. I do commend it for standing up to intolerance while simultaneously disagreeing vehemently with its message. I stand for the freedom of speech, a lost value to many in both the conservative and liberal perspective here in America who often wants to suppress dissenting opinion if it happens to deviate from their ideology or talking points.

Yes, I disagree with this French satire magazine's message, but in a free society we should be able to debate the merits of such a magazine without the fear of being murdered because we happen to deviate from someone’s views. I believe in the fundamental and inherent right of all of use free citizens in a free democracy to express ourselves freely without persecution. I believe in the freedom of speech and in a free democracy all of us and our views must be open to contrary opinion, critique and even lampoonery.

This is why I support James Franco and Seth Rogan and their movie, which is a piece of junk and train wreck of a movie, with a beautiful message.Yes, I have been dreaming of Kim Jong-Un, I dream of a day when he will be deposed and brought to justice for his human rights violations and atrocities in North Korea. I dream of a day when North Korea will be free and united with South Korea. 

If Martin Luther King had a dream, I have a dream too, that freedom of speech will flow like a mighty river in America, France and North Korea. In recent years there have been many attempts even in America, to use various means to silence dissenting opinion in our free democracy.

On secular college campuses across the United States, there are many from a liberal political perspective who does not believe conservative students should have the right to express themselves if it happens to deviate from the politically incorrect status quo. On the right side of the conservative perspective, I have seen the worst form of censorship. On the campus of my alma mater, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a long-time professor was fired for posting a cartoon on Facebook that happened to offend its fundamentalist leader Paige Patterson.

This same fundamentalist Christian icon, Paige Patterson fired an outstanding female professor just because he did not believe women should teach theology if there are men present. We see this suppression of the freedom of speech further in conservative circles. Case in Point, at Cedarville College, a disciple of Paige Patterson, a religious fundamentalist named Thomas White, forcefully shut down an independent student-run newspaper. 

There are reports that Thomas White himself ripped the newspapers out of the hands of students were distributing the newspaper on campus. This is the worst type of censorship folks, and it happened right here in the United States where we are supposed to have the constitutional right, safeguarded by the second amendment to the freedom of speech.

Attempts at suppressing the freedom of speech in a free and open democratic society are not just occurring in North Korea and France. It is happening right here in the United States as in the strange case of Cedarville College.  I stand for democracy and the freedom of speech folks and so should you.

This is the Lee Enochs show, authentic, real, raw and unplugged, I am Theologian X and you have just been in the Enochs zone. Have a great day folks and check to see if you are trying to suppress another person's right to express themselves safeguarded by the US Constitution.