Right-Wing Religious Republicans Successfully Censor Smithsonian Exhibit

Susan Jacoby, "The Spirited Atheist" columnist for The Washington Post, writes that the new Tea Party infected Republican majority in the House of Representatives has already begun their old censorship ways, even though the new session for their party majority doesn't even begin until next year.

What's disgusting about this is not whether the entire exhibit was "offensive" or not, or whether even the 11 second portion of a video item in the exhibit depicting ants crawling on a crucifix would be offensive to Christians. The disgusting thing is that incoming House Speaker Boehner can simply threaten the Smithsonian to "be prepared to face tough scrutiny" under the new Republican majority and the museum leadership promptly caves into the veiled threat and removes the item from the exhibit.

This does not bode well for freedom of speech and expression in our country.