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Originally Posted by Rekna
Remember the bill of rights only goes as far as infringing on other rights. I think the right for the nation to have a fair election trumps the right to free speech.
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The bill of rights tells the government what rights it CANNOT infringe upon. Freedom of expression is one of them. The right of the people to express ideas is absolute and may not be violated for any reason.
I know that you think it should be otherwise, but the fact is that it is not, and it should not be.
If we were to say "you have the right to free speech. . . well except when it would influence elections" then we would be violating the very concepts of freedom that the president for which we are holding elections is supposed to uphold.
The equal time requirements ensure equal access to mass media so that candidates can express their views. They do not restrict a candidate from expressing his ideas. They certainly do not restrict a non-candidate from expressing his ideas about anything he wants - political or otherwise.
We're arguing a pointless argument. I'm stating the law as it is, and you're stating the law as you feel it should be. Whether you're correct or not in your idea that the law would be better if it were as you believe it should be is not at issue here. The law is what it is.