As I type these words, I’m almost exactly one week post my surgical procedure, the one that involves pillows with holes in the middle and not much dignity. I’m off the heavy narco pain killers, and as a result, I haven’t seen my kindly editor riding a purple unicorn recently. Let me just say, huzzah for modern medicine, and if you find yourself facing this same surgery, please do follow your doctor’s instructions. I did and am healing reasonably quickly, though a full heal, they tell me, is a couple of months.

As I sat on my holey pillow of comfort, I read a couple of very interesting Colorado Politics reports that deserve your attention, especially if you are a GOP voter. You know that adage of American politics that says if you repress free speech, your organization will come off looking great? Not so much?

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Well, that is because the opposite is always true. Repressing free speech and a free press are always dangerous to liberty and should be avoided. But perhaps a couple of folks didn’t get that lesson in civics class. Oh, and I get to be bipartisan in my rant today, which is always a nice thing.

The first story reports on a claim by the state House Republicans the Dems gave them a list of words they are forbidden (or at least discouraged) from using during floor debates. Now in fairness (at least from my point of view), the GOP has a history of demonizing political enemies (or those perceived as enemies, which is a lot of folks). Heck, way back in 1990, a group headed by then-GOP House Whip Newt Gingrich circulated a pamphlet that listed words for GOPers to use. Try, Gingrich said, to say things like “family” and “pristine” when talking about GOP stuff, but when describing the other side, use negative words like “anti-child,” “disgrace” and “pathetic.” And the greatest sin of all, to a grammar aficionado like me: don’t say “Democratic” when talking about an action taken by the Dems. Instead, say “Democrat,” as it “it’s a Democrat plan.” Somehow that sin against grammar was seen as a putdown.

But I digress…

The words the Republicans allege the Dems have forbidden tend to be ways to demonize immigrants. Noting the Library of Congress stopped using “illegal alien” in 2016, the Colorado GOPers say they were told not to use the words “illegal” and “fresh-off-the-boat” among others, as they were deemed pejorative.

Now, I agree with the concept we should treat people with respect, and I definitely prefer the Dems’ words to the GOPers when it comes to talking about my fellow humans. I do, however, reject the notion (if, in fact, the GOPers are correct in claiming the Dems tried to limit speech) that one group should tell another which words are acceptable, especially in the public space that is a state House. If there is any place where free speech is especially vital, it is under governmental domes.

The other CoPo story I want you to read has to do with the state GOP chair, Dave Williams, apparently ordering the expulsion of a particular reporter and the banning of other media outlets from the recent GOP state assembly. Williams, his surrogates explained, ordered a Colorado Sun reporter by the name of Sandra Fish to be expelled by law enforcement from the event on April 6. Williams stood behind the expulsion, telling CoPo he felt her reporting was “unfair and not accurate.” He also banned 9News and the Denver Post from the assembly for the same reasons. He argued the party event was a private event, and they were not compelled to allow any media inside.

Here’s the thing: he’s a tiny bit right, but mostly horribly wrong. Yes, the GOP is a private venture. That’s why in the past I’ve opposed open primaries. That said, if you, as a political entity, are seeking votes from the public, and you decide to allow in any press at all, you really need to let every reporter and news organization in. Say what you will about the Washington Post, their motto of “Democracy dies in darkness” is spot on. During my own quixotic congressional campaign back in 2008, I invited all the press to show up to my events (I admit, as a real long-shot candidate, I didn’t get too much response). I was always very pleased when someone from a conservative news organization showed up, as I really felt tmy moderate views would appeal to a significant portion of even conservative voters (spoiler: I lost big).

Any political party in the United States shutting reporters out of events, for any reason, is wrong and to be avoided. And, frankly, it’s not even smart politics. Now, instead of having a fairly mundane and perhaps even boring story published about the actual assembly, the GOP faces having far more impactful stories published, like the CoPo one, which even included a picture of Fish handing her press credentials to a sheriff’s deputy and arena security guy, as she was escorted out.

Not exactly a great image, though perhaps in the time of Trump (to whom Williams attaches himself as closely as possible), we shouldn’t be surprised. Remember the Trump campaign, wherein Trump called the press the enemy of America and pointed the members out to angry mobs of his supporters? Frankly, it’s a miracle no reporter was killed, though Trump did actively praise a GOP House Member and now-Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, for body slamming a reporter. That’s what we want in our elected officials, right?

My theme, of course, is more freedom is better than less freedom, especially in speech, and openness is better than hiding stuff. But for the better part of 30 years or more, one party has been dedicated to using language to obfuscate and demean and has used the tools of office to restrict a free press when possible. Trump didn’t start it, but he certainly has been exploiting it.

I can only hope this Trumpian cancer growing on the GOP will pass, and the party will return to its roots after, say, November.

But I’m not counting on it, and that’s a pity.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.