Remember in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope when Obi-wan Kenobi had to sit down when he felt the disturbance in the Force from the Empire destroying Alderaan? I’ve had that feeling since Don Imus was fired last night.
This was not illegal speech; it was distasteful speech. I have a terrible suspicion that the ringleaders of this madness will push hard to make the latter the former.
Ladies and gentlemen, the latest in a long line of affronts to the U.S. Constitution is shaping up to be a newly discovered “right not to be offended.”
Though it was emotionally charged, to be sure, essentially what we have here is some yo-yo calling an undeserving target a tasteless name. That’s all. We can and should denounce it; are we ready to make it against the law? I am terrified that we are. But don’t worry, because it’s for the children, and we can do better, and insert your favorite platitude here.
I hope to the depths of my soul that I’m being overdramatic, but I fear the Imus episode is the start of a sustained and potentially devastating assault on the First Amendment–perhaps even the greatest of my lifetime. Any part of the assault finding traction sufficient to generate new law will be tragic.
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bigdave on 
Bo on 
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Jack Eason on 
V for Vendetta – It’s for your own good…
Oooooh, you don’t have to sell me on that one. That rocketed into my “favorites of all time” list immediately. Outstanding film.
I’m really too sleepy, but I hope this makes sense.
Remember when Rush got fired from ESPN for a rather tepid comment about black quarterbacks? He really didn’t say anything hateful. Just posed food for thought. But the “general” public were waiting for something inflammatory and jumped all over it forcing the network to boot him.
First Amendment rights give us freedom of speech etc, but not freedom from consequences due to that speech. If I went into a meeting and refered to a coworker as an SOB pimp, I think I would be fired. IE: the gubment can’t pass laws preventing my speech, but the private sector can decide what is ok in their place.
Someone on the public airways is beholden to the “people” because they buy the products that pay for the advertising for his show.
That being said. I still think people are going nuts over this. The leftists taste blood and they are going to try to push too far.
I am anti-censorship. The good thing is that the “liberal college professors” all the cons rant about are also very anti-censorship as well. Talk is cheap. Thought is priceless.
Ok, I think I am rambling. I hurt my back and the lovely narcs are kicking into my bloodstream. I’ll probably wake up tomorrow, read this and delete it!
Nah, don’t delete it. It’s fine. Enjoy those narcs–I still remember my first hydrocodone prescription fondly.
I’m with you on everything you’re saying. My particular concern here is that I think the Imus fiasco was merely “disguised” as a market move. I fear that Sharpton, Jackson, and whoever else are going to be all over the government next pushing for legislation, because government action is the only language any of them speak consistently.
I agree with your assertion that the unwashed, unmuffled masses in our country have taken on that feeling of having a right not to be offended. I do not, however, fear that this mass hysteria will turn into hard and fast law. I think this is in part, a backlash from a full generation’s worth of overly protecting children from reality. You are special. No one has the right to say anything bad about you. You don’t have to play games where you might get picked last or hit with a ball or a score is kept because no one should ever lose or feel bad. So when someone does say something the least bit ignorant or negative, people don’t just flinch, they take it like a punch to the gut and collapse into a pile of pain and disbelief. “He… he said something BAD… about ME!”
Imus was a jackass for what he said. Sexist? Yes. Racist? I don’t think he realized what he was saying in that regard, but maybe. If losing his job was a direct result of this one incident alone, I don’t think he deserved it. I add that qualification since I’ve never listened to his show and don’t know if the assertion by some that this incident is part of a long running pattern is true.
When people say something stupid, something out of ignorance rather than hatred or even mild contempt, people are all too quick to jump down their throats and shout their outrage through a microphone and megaphone instead of take the time to talk with the person and educate them about why what they said was wrong and hurtful. And that hurts my feelings. I’m calling a press conference.
Jeremy, you’re hurting my feelings disagreeing with me.
I hope you’re right. This action was swift and final, however, and I fear it will only embolden those who would legislate as a result–and in the current climate, I fear the amount of support such an effort might attract.
I’d dearly love to look back on this post in six months and think it sounds a little hysterical.
[...] audience than mine) that extols productive values in this arena. It gives me hope that I was indeed being overdramatic last [...]