posted on April 11, 2007 01:29:18 PM new
"In any event, you don't need to defend yourself against a clown like Linda." Thanks, Helen. Sometimes, I just can't help myself.
posted on April 11, 2007 04:37:20 PM new
"And as to "consequences", I'll guarantee Imus' ratings don't change a bit. When this happened, there was no huge outrage. It was on page 5 and after days of hype by the press, Big Al and Jessie posed for the cameras. Still they don't seem to be getting much mileage out of it, so the whole thing will soon be dropped. The corporate 2 week suspension to support the pc flag and a media circus. Done.
posted on April 11, 2007 04:58:05 PM new
Does that mean that AL SHARPTON will be fired from his radio show now that the NC ATTORNEY GENERAL has cleared the DUKE LACROSSE PLAYERS of ALL charges?
Let's all hold our breath waiting for REV HATE to do the right thing and crawl back under whatever rock he crawled out from under -- afterall, according to him & his speech during the great PROTEST march, this case is a "watershed" event...
posted on April 11, 2007 05:12:59 PM newIF it's true he was fired....imo, it's because after apologizing over and over and over again....those hypocrites who have done worse [sharpton/jackson/etc] just wouldn't stop....and imus FINALLY started to point that out to the public.
posted on April 11, 2007 06:19:20 PM new
And heaven forbid if a conservative radio host had made the same statement.
--------
Did Imus Not Go Far Enough?
By Bob Parks
This whole Don Imus racial slur thing stinks. Not just because of the words he used on his nationally syndicated radio program. But because of his chosen word, we now have a fresh dose of Jesse Jackson protesting in Chicago and Al Sharpton being all righteous and demanding Imus be fired in The Big Apple. Funny how these two men of the cloth have forgotten about forgiveness when they get the national juice to demand someone's head.
The reason why this whole episode stinks to high heaven is that Don Imus has been in the radio business for thirty sum-odd years. Anyone who's been in the business as long as Don Imus knows what you can say and what you should not. The reason why I ask did Imus not go far enough is that sometimes people do things subconsciously. Maybe Imus is burned out. Maybe he was looking for a way out? Maybe he screwed up, but not in the way everyone is looking at it?
On last Wednesday's morning show, the following exchange between Imus and his producer, Bernard McGuirk was one for the history books….
DON IMUS: So I watched the basketball game last night between a little bit of Rutgers and Tennessee, the women's final.
SID ROSENBERG: Yeah, Tennessee won last night, seventh championship for Pat Summitt, I-Man. They beat Rutgers by thirteen points.
DON IMUS: Some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they've got tattoos and –
BERNARD McGUIRK: Some hardcore hos.
DON IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that. Man, that's some -- ooh! And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so -- like kind of like a -- I don't know.
BERNARD McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.
DON IMUS: Yeah.
BERNARD McGUIRK: The Jigaboos versus the Wannabes –
DON IMUS: Yeah.
BERNARD McGUIRK: That movie that he had?
DON IMUS: Yeah, it was a tough –
CHARLES McCORD: Do the Right Thing.
BERNARD McGUIRK: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
DON IMUS: I don't know if I'd have wanted to beat Rutgers or not. But they did, right?
SID ROSENBERG: It was a tough watch. The more I look at Rutgers, they look exactly like the Toronto Raptors.
DON IMUS: Well, I guess, yeah.
LOU RUFFINO: Only tougher.
Besides the fact that McGuirk seemed to be the one who instigated the whole race and sexist take on the basketball team, it would appear that one reason Imus should be canned is that he and his crew are just too damn old. No one but oldheads like Sharpton and Jackson would make a national case off the word "jigaboos."
The word is offensive to be sure, but the word "ho" is spoken in more rap songs and videos and no one gives a damn unless an old man in New York City wearing a cowboy hat says it.
I find it curious (not really) that Senator George Allen was essentially voted out because he called an opposition campaign worker "macaca" and it gave liberals yet another opportunity to call all conservatives racists. But these same liberals look the other way when time after time they use racial epithets and some consider it art. But a firing would be out of the question, right?
"Tonight it is being announced on this broadcast that radio host Don Imus, whose national morning show is simulcast on our cable network MSNBC, is being suspended, taken off the air for two weeks starting Monday, because of comments he made last week."
"Many of us at NBC News are frequent guests on the Imus show. He spent this entire day apologizing under withering fire for the remarks he made about members of the Rutgers basketball team."
- NBC's Brian Williams on The Nightly News April 9, 6:37pm
A two-week time out.
Now, liberals like Michael Richards pay a few bucks, apologize on David Letterman, maybe go to a couple sensitivity classes, and all's forgiven. And I mentioned that some liberals consider racist verbiage "art."
Although I liked the movie, the exchange near the end of the movie "Pulp Fiction" didn't get more of the attention Imus is getting now. Quentin Tarantino, who wrote the dialogue, seems to have a love-love relationship with the word "nigger" and Hollywood keeps giving him money to make more edgy films.
This is acceptable dialogue?
JIMMIE: I'm not a cobb or corn, so you can stop butterin' me up. I don't need you to tell me how good my coffee is. I'm the one who buys it, I know how #*!@' good it is. When Bonnie goes shoppin', she buys #*!@. I buy the gourmet expensive stuff 'cause when I drink it, I wanna taste it. But what's on my mind at this moment isn't the coffee in my kitchen; it's the dead nigger in my garage.
VINCENT: Jimmie --
JIMMIE: -- I'm talkin'. Now let me ask you a question, Jules. When you drove in here, did you notice a sign out front that said, "Dead nigger storage?" -- answer to question. Did you see a sign out in front of my house that said, "Dead nigger storage?"
VINCENT: Naw man, I didn't.
JIMMIE: You know why you didn't see that sign?
VINCENT: Why?
JIMMIE: 'Cause storin' dead niggers ain't my #*!@' business!
I would think this one passage is worse than what Imus and his sidekicks said, but Sharpton sees a ticket to the spotlight.
On the April 9 edition of Democracy Now! when the same Amy Goodman, who has not said one word about the Nancy Pelosi road trip, interviewed Al Sharpton, who as usual did most of the talking.
"I will, again, make it clear when Mr. Imus, if he were to show up at the radio show today, that this is not about whether he's a good guy or whether he does charitable work, this is about accountability in media. If the airwaves can be used to, in any way, mainstream racism and sexism, it is an affront to all of us. We must resist it. We cannot have a precedent where people can say these kinds of things and walk away without any penalty."
This, from the same Al Sharpton who used the phrase "bloodsucking Jews." We all know of the Jesse Jackson comments that are not the best examples of racial tolerance and inclusion. First Sharpton and Jackson, and now the whole Rutgers basketball team and school for that matter, is "upset."
According to WCBS New York, "Don Imus' comments were despicable and racist," school president Richard McCormick said. "It was so obvious they were hurt by what he had said. They were angry, perplexed."
Of course, I can understand why the women were hurt, especially because you don't make jokes about a woman's appearance. But sometimes I wonder why people just can't get over it and move on, seeing how some on the team may go to parties and dance to "music" where women are called a lot worse.
The cynic in me thinks a deal was made between Imus, Sharpton, and Jackson. Imus to get a vacation where he can keep to himself and no one bothers him, while the Reverends get what they want: relevance and attention.
Sure, that sounds a little nuts, but is Imus that stupid? Are Sharpton and Jackson going to get over this any time soon? Probably not as long as they're getting this much attention.
Are the ladies on the Rutgers basketball team going to get over the fact they've never heard the word "ho" before last Wednesday? Probably not. After the last race case blew up at Duke, liberals will re-group and use this as another case of black women being raped. This time "verbally."
Don Imus must be annoyed. He used a racial epithet and still didn't get fired. Must be nice to be a liberal.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
posted on April 12, 2007 05:55:50 AM new
So according to SOME :
All laws should be annililated. We shouldn't have laws against murder or rape or theft or blackmail or discrimination or child molesting or driving on the left or not stopping at a red light or assault or blowing up a building or any other law whatsoever because :
posted on April 12, 2007 08:34:34 AM new
Freedom of Speech? Yes, absolutely. Everyone has a right to Freedom of Speech.
Imus has every right to express his views, however he abused his position to do so. One thing everyone seems to forget is that this was done on public airwaves. If he wants to express these views, he should follow the footsteps of Howard Stern and go to private controlled media. There he can say whatever he wants, and I would personally care less.
Imus works for a company, and it is up to the company how they wish to proceed. It is up to them to decide whether they want to continue his contract. It is up to them if they want someone like him with their logo on it. He obviously crossed the line one too many times. Most businesses have standards regarding civil liberties, sexual harrasment, etc. and he shouldn't be above those standards.
At the same time, everyone who was offended has the same right to Freedom of Speech to express their feelings about it... again, it is still up to the companies who Imus works for, receives money from, etc to make the ultimate decision. Nodoby has to support this behavior and letting a company know they are offended and won't listen is their right to do so.
No matter what happens, there is one simple fact that remains... there are far worse instances of racist, inappropriate comments made on telivision, radio, etc. Even then, it doesn't give Imus a pass on his comments.
What I am interested in seeing is how the FCC plans to handle this. The FCC has set standards for decency on Public airwaves. The question I have is where they draw the line? The FCC is quick to fine someone like Howard Stern, but what about the poster children of the sheep herding neoconservatives like Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, etc? They make derogatory comments, often times very hateful comments towards groups of people they know nothing about. If there is going to be a standard for decency, the FCC needs to step up to the plate and explain their lack of accountability when it comes to race, religion, sex, sexual preference, disabilities, etc.
posted on April 12, 2007 08:41:59 AM new
Funny you should mention the FCC. Some commentator was saying that al sharpton should apply for that job.
--------------
classic.....they say a picture is better than a thousand words.....and THAT ONE proves that to be the truth.
GREAT example of what happens when we start limiting anyones free speech.
If enough people don't like what was said....they'll complain and just never view that program again. We've seen that happen over and over again. As we are in this case.
But imo, we're becoming WAY too PC in what defines what shouldn't be said and where. Getting to be more like communist china, imo, where they regulate anything they don't want the public to hear.
And who gets to decide what offends you virsus what offends me. Nope....not a good approach at all.
posted on April 12, 2007 08:53:50 AM new
Some excerpts from an op ed piece by Betty Baye of the louisville Courier journal - she expresses it much better than I ever could.
. . . Imus' apologies are meaningless because he isn't singularly at fault. He grew up in America, and already, his white media buddies, both liberals and conservatives, are circling the wagons. They're arguing, as Imus has, that he was given license to call black women nappy-headed hos by misogynistic black rappers.
But Imus and the nasty rappers are both symptomatic of how institutionalized racism and sexism are. They're much like air pollution; we're dying from it, but the particles are so fine that most people aren't aware that they're being killed.
As a matter of fact, Imus seems to believe that he's guilty of nothing so much as being a really nice guy who had a rare bad day. (Actually, he's had many bad days, and he's been richly rewarded anyhow.)
That's the nature of institutionalized racism and sexism. There's always some widely accepted rationale why nice people should be excused their bigoted remarks and sick behavior.
How deep is the bias? Just look at whom the media sought out when the Imus story broke.
Did they ring up the president or the women of Spelman College? Did they call Johnnetta Cole, Julianne Malveaux, Maya Angelou, Angela Davis, Callie Crossley, Vanessa Williams, Nikki Giovanni, Rita Dove, Shirley Franklin, Mae Jameson, Condoleezza Rice, Kathleen Cleaver, Pearl Cleage, Susan Taylor, Renita Weems, Jill Nelson, Sheryl Swoopes or any of the legions of accomplished black women who could bring historical and political context to the harm of calling young women hos?
No. Black women were insulted, but the media rushed to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
Are black women wearing burkas? Are they so invisible that they don't even get to speak first about their own pain?
If the press had to have a Sharpton or Jackson, why not their wives or daughters?
Instead, the public was distracted yet again by all the tired reasons why Sharpton's and Jackson's own flaws render them unfit to criticize Imus. . . .
The deeper truth is that both Imus and the black misogynist rappers are just the voices we hear and the faces we see. But who is backing up and enriching such miscreants?
The answer is huge institutions like CBS Radio, MSNBC, Viacom and Black Entertainment Television, which have executives, stockholders and advertisers who've gotten very rich by fostering uncivil dialogue and exploiting nasty rap lyrics.
It's not sentimental; it's cold, calculating business.
Just as slavery was business -- the business founded on the vile proposition that persists to this day that black women are just nappy-headed hos who can be disrespected at any time by anybody. . . .
Racial and sexual abuse and harassment go on every day in America. If Imus is one of the nice guys, imagine what the others have to say about women after a couple of beers.
posted on April 12, 2007 09:31:32 AM new
I don't think Imus' speech should be limited, but there are economic consequences for what he says that will be far more important than the feelings of those he obviously offended. No company will sponsor him now. He's a liability neither MSNBC or CBS can afford. He's toast and if he doesn't know it or couldn't foresee it he's a fool to boot.
posted on April 12, 2007 10:12:54 AM new
They used the same argument with Stern a dozen times. The ratings don't go down, and there is no trouble with sponsors filling the void.
Let's see they've dropped the "did anyone even know it was on" simulcast on MSNBC.
posted on April 12, 2007 01:24:57 PM new
I personally would like to see NO speech regulated/banned. The ONLY exception I'd make to that is speech that calls for the abuse of another person/people. Period.
I have never read where our 'free speech' rights LIMIT us in what can be said. Speaking is NOT physically hurtful to others. Hurt feelings are something people need to grow up and live with, imo.
I truely believe by everyone demanding we not 'insult' them....we're headed down a REAL slippery slope into 'too much regulated speech'.
=============
Looks like Imus is getting mad enough about all this ridiculous press, he's beginning to 'fight' back.
=======
from the http://www.drudgereport.com
IMUS: '[b]WHEN WILL SHARPTON
APOLOGIZE TO DUKE PLAYERS[/b]'?
Thu Apr 12 2007 10:02:02 ET
Patrick Gavin with FISHBOWLDC reports on Imus's radio show this am...
Barely 12 hours after being fired from MSNBC...
6:12 AM: On Imus' radio program (no longer simulcast on MSNBC) this morning, Chris Carlin, who covers sports for the program, discussed yesterday's dismissal of charges against the Duke lacrosse players.
(rough transcript)
DON IMUS: When will Al Sharpton be apologizing to them?
(LAUGHTER)
CARLIN: I'm unaware of such a press conference.
IMUS: I'll be darned...
=========
UPDATE 6:28 AM: After a station break, Imus came back to discuss MSNBC's decision. He said he was recently chatted with "another big time broadcasting executive" who was "complaining that [MSNBC] had cancelled the simulcast twelve hours before we were getting ready to conduct this radio-thon for these three charities."
Imus: "My position on all of this is not whining about the hideously hypocritical coverage from the newspapers -- from everybody -- or the lack of support, say, from people like Harold Ford, Jr. who I had my life threatened over supporting and all these kind of things. It all began, and it doesn't make any difference -- like [James] Carville said -- stop talking about the context, it doesn't make any difference. If I hadn't have said it I wouldn't be here. So let's stop whining about it...You gotta stop complaining. I said a stupid, idiotic thing that desperately hurt these kids. I'm going to apologize but we gotta move on."
UPDATE 7:37 am. IMUS: "The hypocrisy is absurd...Everybody knows what the deal is. And this is not over. This story does not end here."
Imus also gave a shout-out to Opie & Anthony, who support Imus on this issue.
UPDATE 7:57:
Imus says he spoke with MSNBC Senior VP Phil Griffin and said "some of the stuff that MSNBC has done this morning is frankly unethical and I've asked them to stop doing it."
But also said, "I'm not whining about the coverage. I'm not whining about any aspect of this."
"I've said 100 times: I said it and if I hadn't said it, we wouodn't be sitting here talking about it. And that's the bottom line."
Imus also said that losing television (via MSNBC) isn't as big as losing radio. "The big part of the program is radio. There's millions of people listening to the radio. At best a few hundred thousand are watching television."
On MSNBC's decision: "I understand the pressure they were under. I'm not stupid."
UPDATE 8:15am: Speaking with an African-American woman, whose son had spent time at the Imus Ranch, Imus said, "And I want to say to you as an African-American woman, I'm sorry for what I said...I want to apologize to all African-American women." The woman said, "Okay, I accept that."
UPDATE 8:19AM: Imus said that one of the "sad ironies of my stupidity" is that, at his ranch, "we sent six kids home because they couldn't stop calling girls bitches and hos."
UPDATE 8:21AM: "I want to thank Opie & Anthony...I love them and I love what they do. I know they offend people perhaps more than I do. They're good loyal guys...Even Howard [Stern] hasn't been horrible." (Although if you read this Stern show summary, seems like Stern still has his claws out against his longtime nemesis.)
UPDATE 8:28AM: Imus says that he's had "a lot of big people in the media" calling him "whining about the hypocrsity in the coverage. We understand that. You just turn on the cable channels or read the newspaper, trying to portray me as some vicious racist or whatever and there's not one person talking about the other things I've done...There's a difference between premeditated murder and a gun going off...But you've got to take your medicine. I'm not whining about it."
"Don't tell me that context isn't important. Context is importnat in everything we do in our lives. But it's not an excuse."
UPDATE 8:38AM: Despite the controversy, Imus says contributions for The Tomorrows Children Fund and the Imus Ranch are "way, way up" compared to this time in the show last year, which is significant because "the money's more important this year than ever."
He added: "These bastards went after me. They got me. But they didn't catch me asleep."
UPDATE 8:44AM: MSNBC's Imus webpage is still up, with a statement and link to Imus' charities.
UPDATE 8:45am: "One day you've got a radio and tv show and one day you don't...Ordinarily we need to raise $3 million, this year we need to raise $100 million -- just in case (Laughter)."
UPDATE 8:57AM: Tells his friends, "Don't call me telling me that the coverage is unfair...If I hadn't said it, there'd be no coverage...Shut up about it...I've been dishing it out for a long time, and now it's my turn...I'm not going to whine about it."
Imus also lets readers know that he's doing today's show in the MSNBC studio.
UPDATE 9:01AM: Charlie McCord says that they've raised over $400,000.
UPDATE 9:10AM: On MSNBC:I understand their decision." "I appreciate them letting us use their studio this morning."
To "all of my friends in the media, out of the media: You can't whine about this...We wouldn't have been there if I hadn't said it."
He again called media coverage "outrageously hypocritical."
"Harold Ford, Jr. has been disgraceful in his lack of support. I endured death threats to endorse him...It's unfortunate that he has no courage."
"I'm not surprised by any of this. I'm not surprised at the hypocrisy of Al Sharpton, of Jesse Jackson or any of these people. But you can't whine about it."
"We can talk about all the good work that I've done forever, but I still said that. I'm not making any excuses. Everybody's got to stop whining and quit talking about it."
UPDATE 9:25AM: "I've dished it out for a long time and now it's my time to take it. That's fine. Bring it on."
UPDATE 9:28AM: After one guest said "kick ass," then followed that with "can I say that?" Imus said, "I think today you can say anything."
UPDATE 9:37: "We've never done this well before" (regarding the radiothon)
UPDATE 9:38: On meeting with the Rutgers basketball players: "I can't go through the rest of my life -- nor can they -- without us having this conversation and me telling them how I feel and, more importantly, them telling me how they feel."
[ edited by Linda_K on Apr 12, 2007 01:35 PM ]
posted on April 12, 2007 01:35:05 PM new
I also see no need to validate "free speech", mostly because the people who jump to the chance to define it are like the whack jobs here who do the most complaining about it.
Could you imagine a panel of these Vendio idiots with rubber stamps:
Imus "nappy-headed ho's"---> HATE CRIME
Magglethorpe "P*ss Christ"---> ART
posted on April 12, 2007 01:36:08 PM new
Good post, Cherished!
I just listened to a radio discussion of the incident and finally a woman called in and pointed out that it wasn't just a RACIST comment, it was a SEXIST comment. She pointed out the the program had the opinions of a black male journalist and a white male professor.....she asked where the women were?????????????
I see there's still the uneducated, illiterate
(what the heck does "VIRSUS" mean )
who believe hate speech is OK and , in their stupidity, see nothing wrong with it.
I know they don't spend much time washing those white sheets and starching those hoods....but I'm sure they keep them ready.....
posted on April 12, 2007 03:44:09 PM new
I have to admit this incident has me torn. What Imus said was certainly reprehensible, hurtful and stupid. However, I am an adamant proponent of free speech, regardless of the speech. I do not think he should have been fired. If sponsors pulled out, if people stopped listening to him, well that would be his consequences for what he said. As Tom (a man I truly respect) has said in several posts, I also have a problem with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. I live in New York and am well acquainted with Rev. Al. We are still waiting for him to apologize for the Tawana Brawley debacle and so is Mr. Pagones, the person he falsley accused. He has also uttered many anti-Semitic references. Jesse Jackson once called New York Hymietown. He also became involved in the Duke Lacrosse case and even offered to pay for the "victim's" college education. I hear no apologies from either man for the above. They are both hypocritical, disingenuous and have their own agendas. Many people in the African-American community do not respect these men and realize that their motives are mostly self-serving. They are not truly interested in helping the African-American community. With CBS's firing of Imus, Rev. Al's power trip has just been kicked up a notch.
posted on April 12, 2007 03:48:02 PM new
"I just listened to a radio discussion of the incident and finally a woman called in and pointed out that it wasn't just a RACIST comment, it was a SEXIST comment. She pointed out the the program had the opinions of a black male journalist and a white male professor.....she asked where the women were?????????????"
Exactly, Mingo. Why apologize to Al Sharpton when there should be apologies to the women who were most hurt by that horrid remark.
posted on April 12, 2007 03:53:58 PM new
I agree with most all you wrote. I don't hold the same indecision that you do on free speech. I think you'd admit that when one group of people [say - black rappers] can use this SAME speech and make millions off of it....but another loses his career...that's just not right.
=====
I especially agree with you on "If sponsors pulled out, if people stopped listening to him, well that would be his consequences for what he said."
And that will happen when anyone, enough people, are totally appalled at what anyone else says.
posted on April 12, 2007 03:56:56 PM new
I'm going to chime in here at the risk of getting lam-blasted and labeled a racist. My son used to listen to the rap crap. No, I've never heard the words nappy headed used in rap HOWEVER the word HO is used regularly when referring to black women. So, when is it okay? Only when an African American uses it? If they use it it's fine, but if a white man uses it it's racist? Okay, so Imus made an incredibly insensitive and ignorant remark. One I don't approve of at all. But, I don't believe there was anything intentionally racist about it. Let's get the he** over it. As for the player that made the remark that this comment is going to scar her for life: If a comment like this is all it will take to scar you for life, you need help and a lot of it.
The beauty of it is: If you don't like what the man has to say, DON'T LISTEN TO IT.
Tom - I agree with you 100%.
Now, I'm out before my arm falls off. LOL! I tore my rotator cuff so typing is not at all easy.
posted on April 12, 2007 04:29:31 PM new
Oh this is 'rich'.
from the 'Best of the Web' at the WSJ today....in part.
The rest just pretty much said sharpton and jackson are being given a lot of 'camera' time...when they have their own issues.
But this part is what I found rich:
Yesterday, Mr. Jackson was at it again. He said he planned to meet with executives at CBS Radio and NBC, the networks that employed Mr. Imus, to demand more diversity in broadcasting. "Imus is on 1,040 hours a [year] and yet they have virtually no black show hosts. That is true for other networks as well," Mr. Jackson said.
"We must raise the ethical standard for all of them."
Of course, it is difficult to have sympathy for the corporations involved. They have profited for years from playing the anti-social songs of gansta rap artists, whose lyrics degrade women, sometimes call for violence and use far worse language than Mr. Imus did.
Indeed, NBC Universal, which owns MSNBC, also owns Interscope Records, a label notorious for hiring gangsta rap artists.
posted on April 12, 2007 04:29:45 PM new
For those who don't know what hate speech is( how ignorant!) there are LAWS against it....look them up.
The advice to just ignore hate speech is also ignorant....silence promotes it, encourages it.
Like years ago when a man beat his wife , nobody spoke up, they looked the other way. Not until people started raising a stink about it (and lawsuits cost some a lot of money) was anything done about it.
One form of hate speech does NOT make another form legitimate. So you who LOVE hate speech have NO argument to legitimize it.
There ARE people fighting against sexist/racist music...and it doesn't help having people ignore it nor any other form of hate speech.
How many of YOU have emailed a radio station, a music corporation or your political representatives to help put an end to that foul music ?????
If you're NOT racist and sexist you WILL speak out...not just turn the dial....that's the coward's way out and does NOT help to make America a great country....it sends it spiraling backwards...and we ALL pay the price...
posted on April 12, 2007 04:36:15 PM new
You're just confused again.
FREE SPEECH means ALL can speak out about what's bothering them. They can ALL state their opinions...without some communist law that defies our constitutional rights to do so.
An example:
I don't approve of a lot of things. I say so. Then someone passes an anti-free speech LAW that says there will be consequences for me stating MY opinion.
That's a violation of MY free speech rights.
It does NOT keep you from saying you disagree with me NOR from you stating YOUR opinion about the subject or my differing view.
NO LAWS banning free speech.....or show us WHERE in our constitutional rights we are BANNED from saying ANYTHING.
Otherwise...it's just YOUR opinion...and others disagree.
That's what makes America so GREAT. Banning free speech makes us MORE like the chinese communist nation.
posted on April 12, 2007 07:11:19 PM newROFLOL......and these are the SAME liberals who were just yesterday talking about FREE SPEECH?????
Just another typical hypocritical response from Linda herself.
Wasn't it you Linda that was so easily offended when someone called you a Bush whore. Do all the other items that easily offended you, need to be repeated??
You don't have a clue about the difference between free speech and what speech is actually appropriate.
You continue to make an ass out of yourself.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
---------------------------------- The duty of a patriot in this time and place is to ask questions, to demand answers, to understand where our nation is headed and why. If the answers you get do not suit you, or if they frighten you, or if they anger you, it is your duty as a patriot to dissent. Freedom does not begin with blind acceptance and with a flag. Freedom begins when you say 'No.'
posted on April 12, 2007 07:14:34 PM newI personally would like to see NO speech regulated/banned. The ONLY exception I'd make to that is speech that calls for the abuse of another person/people
HEY I GUESS THIS MEANS LINDA WILL NOT BE OFFENDED BY NAME CALLING DIRECTED AT HER ANYMORE
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
---------------------------------- The duty of a patriot in this time and place is to ask questions, to demand answers, to understand where our nation is headed and why. If the answers you get do not suit you, or if they frighten you, or if they anger you, it is your duty as a patriot to dissent. Freedom does not begin with blind acceptance and with a flag. Freedom begins when you say 'No.'
Are YOU a Bunghole?