I’ve always been proud of my country, and thankful that I’m an American. Some days more than others. And I’m betting some Freedom of Speech-less Londoners are becoming increasingly envious of the liberties we enjoy.

First it was the arrests of three Londoners who dared criticize Radical Islam. Now, evangelist Tony Miano, an American citizen, was arrested on a London street recently for doing nothing other than expressing his opinion on homosexuality. No slurs, no hate speech, he asserts, just an espousing of his take on the issue, from his faith’s perspective:

“When I mentioned that the Bible was clear that homosexuality is a sin,” Miano said, “a lady walked by and she glared at me and hurled the f-bomb.”

She then complained to police, who subsequently arrested Miano. The “charges” against Miano? “Using homophobic speech that could cause people anxiety, distress, alarm or insult.” Miano spent seven hours in jail, was threatened with prosecution, and then eventually released.

“I did not speak solely about homosexuality as a form of sexual immorality,” said Miano, “but also about any kind of sex outside marriage between one man and one woman, as well as lustful thoughts,” he said. “All of these are considered mainstream Christian positions and have been taught and believed by Christians for thousands of years.” Nothing really new under the sun.

While lobbing f-bombs at those with whom you disagree is perfectly legal in London (and from a freedom of speech standpoint, should be!), expressing a personal opinion regarding sexuality through the lens of one’s faith, sans f-bombs, is a big, politically incorrect, no-no. All it takes, it would appear, is expressing distaste with the message to have the “offender” arrested and hauled off to jail, fingerprinted and a DNA sample taken, all in a demand for political correctness. Genuine gay-basher and huge hypocrite Alec Baldwin, and every last Westboro Baptist bigot, had best not visit London anytime soon lest they have an affinity for shackles. The fact that they can say the bigoted things they say without fear of arrest in this country because of the freedoms we enjoy thanks to those who fought to the death to defend it is, well, likely lost on them.

And speaking of intolerance. In Seattle over the holiday weekend, the “tolerance” of the Far Left was on full display, yet again. Watch this:

As in London, the political correctness-demanding Far Left Seattleites offer the tolerance they demand from us all only to those with whom they agree. Dare to express anything other than their pc-ness, or assert your Christian faith (good, bad, or otherwise), and prepare to face vicious verbal and physical assaults by those with whom you disagree, First Amendment be damned. Now imagine what might happen if Christians and other peoples of faith behaved in the same manner; not with ugly words, but with physical violence.

I still love my country, and I still believe our freedom of speech rights are, for the moment, safe, even for trolls like Westboro Baptist, vile as they are. But our natural rights guaranteed in the First Amendment are under a sustained frontal assault by the Far Left and those who currently run this nation. We’ve witnessed it most recently via the abortion mandate in ObamaCare, the silencing of the Tea Party by the IRS and other federal agencies, as well as in legislation potentially prohibiting protesting within a certain distance of a secret service agent, just to name a few. I’m not saying that I agree or disagree with Miano or the dude with the signs in Seattle. That’s not the point. What I support is their right to say it, whatever “it” may be. If we’re not vigilant, the Far Left will succeed in the destruction of the America our Founders built and died defending. We could easily become London, where, on the whim of any ol’ body, we could be jailed simply for saying something “offensive” to, or about, someone else. Then it will be us who is envious, dreaming longingly for what America used to be.