'Free Speech' at CBS, and more

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Aug 25, 2000

In a recent article posted in "http://www.worldnetdaily.com" entitled "Feds Blast CBS's Appalling Broadcast" by staff writer Jon Dougherty we learn that the Federal Communications Commission demanded a public apology from CBS for that Republican Convention Bush footage with the caption "Snipers Wanted" on the CBS "Late, Late Night Show". CBS dutifully gave its apology, but, says the Feds, that may not be enough, what with viewers still sending reams of complaint letters in, two weeks after the fact.

So that is free speech, isn't it? And I say, "Yeah, right, it is free speech--totally irresponsible, but yep, it's free speech. NOT!"

The thing is, to be truly "free" speech it has to be responsible speech. And the hypocrisy of it all on CBS's part: sure they can put up a "snipers wanted" ad on Bush's face, but heaven help them if they did likewise with Gore. Again, political correctness and the agenda that goes with it rears its ugly head (and of course, aren't the Democrats more politically correct than the Republicans--even if, in the immortal words of George Wallace, there is not a dime's worth of difference between them?). For CBS to even presume the show's audience would go for that kind of crap, based on demographics or whatever, or a warped sense that its audience had a "warped sense", just goes to show one how far down the road to hell this country is going, even if the politically correct think the road is paved with good intentions. So what I'm saying about it is this: political correctness on CBS's part, not a "joke" on the show's hosts part, was the reason the nonsense got on there in the first place--mark my words.

And what has all this "free speech" gotten us? In the past week, a Long Island resident has been arrested by the Secret Service for threatening the life of Senator and Gore running-mate Lieberman--on the Howard Stern show, no less (I reckon the "Nazarene" who did this thought the rather raunchy Stern would go for it; fortunately, Stern--who does want to keep his job, you know--warned the guy he would be arrested on felony charges for making the threats, and sure enough. Also, some homeless guy was arrested outside Bush's governor's mansion for making death threats against Bush. All in the wake of that "snipers wanted" ad.

Folks, this really, really, really isn't free speech. Because everytime this kind of crap happens, the Feds have just another excuse to clamp down on true free speech, the First Amendment kind. Which is why this CE won't go for it.

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