Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan is the latest Democrat to call for bringing back the Fairness Doctrine in radio broadcasting.
I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.
The first amendment of the Constitution reads:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
“Congress shall make no law” is admirably clear. The amendment does NOT say, “Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech, or of the press, unless the press is irresponsible or unaccountable.” It does not say that because such a law would not be objective. Irresponsible according to whom? Accountable to whom? To a bunch of statist politicians trying to bamboozle the people into socialism?
Accountability, responsibility and transparency do not apply to free individuals speaking their mind. In a free country people have the right to say whatever they want, including irresponsible statements that anger politicians. (What tyrants consider irresponsible speech is usually the opposite — criticism of their tyranny.)
Senator Stabenow and the rest of the big government politicians want to destroy freedom of speech in America. They must destroy freedom of speech because their statist policies are neither moral nor practical and they need to shut up criticism so the American people will not understand the true nature of what they are doing. They must control propaganda in order to continue expanding state power.
If Senator Stabenow wants to fight for accountability, responsibility and transparency, she might start by opposing the statist con job that is the stimulus bill. The expanding state must be throttled and held in check, not citizens speaking out in a struggle to defend the remaining shreds of our freedom.
Strangely, her husband is an executive at Air America. I believe that radio network isn’t faring so well. But I’m sure that there’s no connection there.
Don’t you feel even a little sorry for me? She’s my Senator. Before she became senator she was a social worker. She was elected because voters thought she ‘cared’. That’s why I have a hard time feeling sorry for Michigan citizens who lost their homes and jobs. That’s what happens when you elect a box of rocks to the Senate.
Bill:
“But I’m sure that there’s no connection there.” Of course not! Silly you.
If it ever comes up in the Supreme Court, I would expect them to claim that they aren’t abridging freedom of speech. That’s what the radio stations are doing when they don’t give Dems or whoever equal airtime. Funny, because I always felt the establishment clause was tricky since it says “respecting,” suggesting that Congress also couldn’t tell a state -not- to establish a religion. I’m not sure if any states every had that intention, but any such idea clearly died when Utah decided to join the Union. Anyway, the language can’t be much clearer, and clear language doesn’t help any if people willfully ignore its meaning.
Mike N, you not only have my sympathy, you have my empathy, for one of my senators is Barbara Boxer.
Myrhaf:
Oh woe is us!
I guess I can be lucky that one of mine is John McCain? Does anyone have a senator they’re proud of?
I have a king.
America has a god in the White House.
This lecherous woman is my senator as well Mike. Funny thing is, she voted *against* the first Bailout both times. Of course, her reason was because it didn’t do enough to “help” the middle class home owners as she explained in her reply e-mail.
Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isaakson are practically gems compared to the senators you folks have mentioned, and I’m not even happy with them.
Katrina: there is a paragraph in “Atlas Shrugged” which I happened to reread this week because my fiance is reading it for the first time.
In it, one of the Washington looters is explaining that the path to censorship is to make it about material things, not the ideas themselves. “Make it a matter of printers and paper and ink”, and dangerous ideas won’t get printed…. because “nobody will fight over a material issue.”
I just about fell out of my chair when I read this paragraph written in 1957, and then John McCain’s infamous 2003 declaration “Money is not speech” popped into my mind immediately.
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