By Sylvia Gurinsky
In medieval times, when autocratic rulers would issue laws preventing anyone from speaking out against them, the court jester would get around those laws with comedic shtick poking fun at those autocratic rulers.
Thank goodness, in the United States, for the First Amendment. And for comedian Stephen Colbert.
Last week, Colbert went, in character, to Capitol Hill to testify about migrant farm workers. Here's a sample:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1T75jBYeCs
Given the criticism by members of Congress from both major parties and Fox News, one would think Colbert had burned the American flag during that hearing (which, by the way, would also have been his First Amendment right, but that's another story).
Many of the same people criticizing Colbert have given support to people like U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, who heckled President Barack Obama during his State of the Union address earlier this year. They're the same people who have condoned any manner of insult against Obama for everything from his race to his religion and even his location of birth. They're the same people who condone Arizona's unconstitutional tactics towards immigrants, yet haven't done anything to solve the problem.
Colbert, through his appearance, shined a mirror on those people and showed their hypocrisy - like a good court jester should.
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