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Originally Posted by shakran
I understand that. And if the networks want to can him, that's their choice. However, the principle of the first amendment is that everyone has the right to express himself. For people to then get up in arms when others follow that principle is disingenuous.
I don't agree with Imus any more than I agree with the KKK idiots that preach hate on the street corner - but that doesn't mean I think they should lose their jobs for having those beliefs.
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I guess that's a point of disagreement between us - I don't think the 1st has anything to do with this situation, even in principle. CBS has absolutely no obligation to keep this guy on the air if he says things they don't want him to say. If there were KKK guys with radio shows and I owned the network, you better believe they'd lose their jobs in a heartbeat if they spewed their beliefs on airwaves I controlled.
To me, the important principle behind the 1st amendment is that
the government can't oppress speech. I just don't feel that should necessarily extend beyond the government. In a sense, the idea that CBS has an obligation to air things they don't agree with is to imply that it is OK to mandate CBS's speech, which is a different kind of oppression. Better to stay out of it altogether.