Katy Resident Henry Dibrell Takes Michael Savage Ban To The British Public

COMPILED FROM NEWS REPORTS · AUGUST 16, 2010 ·

LOCAL NEWS ·

Katy conservative Henry Dibrell recently developed and implemented a plan along with a friend to take national conservative icon Michael Savage’s “Borders, Language, and Culture” movement deep into the UK as a symbolic protest to that country’s assault upon American free speech and politically correct surrender to forces associated with terrorism.

The UK government banned Savage from coming to its country and grouped him into a no-entry list with known murderers, terrorists, and radicals.

MAKING A STATEMENT – A Michael Savage “Borders, Language, Culture” poster is displayed at the Cambridge Union in Great Britain as a part of Katy resident Henry Dibrell’s effort to raise awareness among the British public of their nation’s ban of the conservative talk show host.

Dibrell calls the action “an assault upon free speech and every conservative in America should speak out forcefully.”

As a noted American philosopher, author, and icon in national conservative talk radio, Savage “has been an uncompromising voice for the values that many of our Americans still hold dear,” Dibrell said.

“I want to make it clear that I don’t agree with everything he says. I think there are times when he is too harsh on other conservatives’ inconsistencies,” Dibrell explained. “However, our country is in a philosophical death struggle with a new wave of government oppression and tyranny. We need to defend the voices and the causes that are under attack.”

“The traditional core values of our country are under active assault from every direction. From international forces to national, state and local ones, we conservatives have to be aggressive in our response,” he said.

The Savage movement’s “tour” was the brainstorm of Dibrell, who knew that a friend would be in England. Together, they decided to honor the principle of free speech – the value that has made America the beacon of freedom for over 200 years.

“I was not personally able to go to England. However, when I learned that a friend would be there we developed a plan to take a stand on what has happened,” Dibrell said. “It may be a little ‘hokey’ in approach, but it is meant to be a very serious statement that all conservatives need to stand together when any conservative is under attack.”

The logo from Michael Savage’s website was incorporated with these words: “Michael Savage was here because Michael Savage’s ideas, principles, and courage are everywhere free men think. Oppressive, cowardly, dishonest governments and political leaders can restrain the movement of a man, but no government can restrain a courageous man’s movement.” The logo and words as prepared are shown below.

The logo and the words were printed on a sheet of paper and photographed at symbolic places in Cambridge, UK, Dibrell said. “Mr. Savage has been banned from England. Whether one agrees with all of his positions is irrelevant. He and we and fellow conservatives are under attack.”

“The conservative movement in the United States has been far too acquiescent in its response to this outrageous decision by the British government. I wanted to do something to say from my little spot in the world that what has happened is morally and ethically wrong. And the silence from the majority of the conservative movement in the United States is wrong too,” Dibrell said. “Savage can defend himself. However, we all have the moral duty to defend freedom and value the role that Savage plays in that effort.”

Savage’s “Borders, Language, and Culture” movement reached deep into the country from which he is personally banned by ‘touring’ Cambridge, England. Cambridge is the site of the Cambridge Union Society, the organization that cancelled a debate with Savage on political correctness under apparent pressure from the British government.

The “Borders, Language, and Culture Tour” included a stop at the front door of the Cambridge Union Society. In very symbolic ways, the act of banishment itself and the decision by a prestigious institution in the country to turn its back on its own premise of the free exchange of ideas is reminiscent of Neville Chamberlain’s capitulation to different forces of evil.

The photographs at the various scenes depicted are of varying quality because of the circumstances in which the photographs were taken. Not all spots of the movement’s tour were photographed and not all photographs are shown in this story, Dibrell noted.

Savage’s movement tour officially began with a cup of coffee at an outside restaurant very near the center of the historic city rooted in centuries of Royal history. The lead headline from The Daily Telegraph that day captures the government’s warning that it was no longer capable of completely defending itself or citizens from physical threats to the nation.

“Perhaps that explains the government’s policy of capitulation to the bizarre, politically correct symbolism of including Savage in the banned from Britain list with terrorists and criminals,” Dibrell said.

Dibrell believed that no “Borders, Language, and Culture Tour” would have been complete without having showed up at the doorstep of the Cambridge Union Society “that destroyed almost two centuries of prestige and credibility by withdrawing its invitation to Savage to debate political correctness. Whether it was fear of government oppression or philosophical agreement with that oppression, the result was the same – no debate. A society dedicated to debate refused to debate.”

Dibrell thought it would be valuable to review a clip from a news story at the time the debate offer was withdrawn: The debate was to have occurred on October 15, 2009. Here are excerpts from a story published by WorldNetDaily:

As WND reported, the invitation from the Cambridge Union Society for the Oct. 15 debate was issued in July after Savage was banned from entering the United Kingdom by Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government along with Muslim extremists and leaders of hate groups.

In an e-mail today to Savage producer Beowulf Rochlen, Cambridge Union leaders Julien Domercq and Jonathan Laurence wrote, “It is with great regret to inform you of the difficult decision we have taken to cancel the event.”

Domercq and Laurence pointed to problems with the cost and feasibility of setting up the necessary video link, but they also cited “legal issues.”

“We have reconsulted with our counsel, and been informed that there are numerous legal issues with Dr Savage speaking here,” they wrote, “and so because of all of the technical, financial and legal problems involved, we have come to the reluctant conclusion that the event cannot proceed.”

Rochlen told WND the video link should not have been a problem, noting the society previously has conducted debates with participants at remote locations. The society had proposed using a Polycom video conferencing unit to enable Savage to participate from a studio in the San Francisco Bay area, Rochlen said.

The society has not elaborated on the legal issues they faced, but Savage believes the British government clearly didn’t want the debate to take place.

“What did the socialist Brown regime fear I might say during the debate?” Savage asked. “What are they hiding from the general public that would have been exposed? Why do they wish to hide what they did to an innocent broadcaster?”

Of course, the “Borders, Language, and Culture Tour” was not all pure work. The movement walked the public areas to engage citizens with questions about trends in British government policy and their impact upon daily life. The cost of daily living is very high and was a common topic of discussion with British citizens, Dibrell noted.

There was some shopping at the local outdoor market where merchants still appreciate the concept of free enterprise in a world where free markets are in decline or face perpetual rigging by governments that reward friends and allies and punish philosophical and political opponents, Dibrell added.

There were also stops at several book stores in central Cambridge in search of any of Savage’s books. While none were in stock at the book stores visited, the “tour” was advised that books could be ordered online.

There were, of course, many other stops and photographs not depicted here taken during the movement’s tour of Cambridge. However, Dibrell says the purpose of this project was simple.

“The American people in general should not tolerate this abusive act against one of our citizens. Conservative Americans who believe in this country’s historical goodness should be outraged and finding ways within their power to express that outrage,” Dibrell said.

“Free speech is one of the pillars of our society. It is tragic that a country that once stood alone against the Nazi forces but that arguably remained free by the blood of our citizens and whose economy was salvaged by our treasury has degenerated to a point that political correctness has prompted it to pervert such a noble concept with such an unethical and immoral act of cowardice and intellectual surrender to the evil forces of radicalism,” Dibrell said.

“I know that my symbolic protest here will not change the current reality. However, since the majority of our national current leadership in the conservative movement has chosen to look the other way, just maybe it is time for average Americans to do and say something that expresses our profound outrage,” he said. “That’s why I asked a friend to help me do this.”

“I don’t have the authority to allow Dr. Savage to visit Britain. However, I did have the opportunity to make sure that his movement’s presence there was validated, and I did that,” Dibrell said.