Chuck Muth: Sandoval leads effort to suppress free speech

So there's this group called "Latinos for Reform" which doesn't like Republican positions on immigration reform but is also fed up with Democrats who have paid only lip-service to the issue for the last two years.

As such, the group - exercising its free speech rights - produced a simple and factual television commercial that urges Latino voters to show their displeasure with the candidates of both parties by freely choosing not to vote in this election. But judging by the artery-popping, apoplectic reactions of some, you would have thought they had called for shooting the Queen.

For example, Republican gubernatorial candidate, former state attorney general and former federal judge - meaning he should know better - Brian Sandoval issued the following statement: "The television ad imploring Hispanics not to vote should be taken down immediately. It is outrageous, and has no place in Nevada. No voter should have their right to vote suppressed or denied."

Whoa, whoa, WHOA!

The ad simply urges a protest vote in the form of a non-vote. It's advocacy for making a political statement. How in the world is that something "outrageous" which "has no place in Nevada" and ought to be "taken down immediately"?

And no one is having their vote "denied." If people disagree with the political position of Latinos for Reform they still are free to show up at the polls and cast their ballots. No one's going to be standing outside with billy clubs intimidating Hispanic-looking voters who might try to enter a polling location.

And would Judge Sandoval please explain to us how privately funded ads urging people not to vote is "outrageous" while taxpayer-funded ads urging people to vote - even morons who are clueless about the issues and the candidates - are "good"?

And how is staying home and not voting really any different from voting for "None of the Above," an option approved by Nevada's Legislature over 30 years ago? Would Sandoval call a TV commercial urging Nevadans to vote for "None of the Above" outrageous and demand that it be pulled down?

The bottom line is this: The "don't vote" ad is free speech, period. It's an effort at persuasion, not suppression. It doesn't silence anyone. It doesn't threaten anyone. It doesn't deny anyone the right to vote. It simply urges a group of people to exercise their right to participate in an election by freely choosing not to participate in an election.

Unfortunately, the speech police won again. Univision announced it won't run the television commercial and pulled a companion radio spot off the air.

Congratulations, Judge Sandoval. You may have given Hispanics a reason to believe in you again, but those of us who cherish free speech, especially political speech, now have reason to doubt.

• Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a non-profit public policy grassroots advocacy organization.