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Originally Posted by AVoiceOfReason
I've skimmed through this thread, and as I thought might be the case, some have raised the First Amendment issue. It does not apply, no matter how much someone may think it does, or should. It's a sad commentary on the American society when one of the citizens doesn't know this.
Here is the First Amendment to the US Constitution. It's not long, nor is it hard to understand. Read the first five words, and if you don't understand what it being prohibited, read them again:
"CONGRESS SHALL PASS NO LAW respecting an establisment 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 grievences."
Got it? CONGRESS SHALL PASS NO LAW. It is GOVERNMENT action, not private corporate decisions, that is covered by the First Amendment.
Anyone that misses that point after reading this note is trying to be obtuse, and should be ignored.
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But the problem with your argument is THEY HAVE PASSED LAWS abridging free speech and press.
Hasn't the governement already prohibited the freedom of speech and press through over REGULATION in the media? What I mean is requiring licenses etc. not just by chastising people who say four letter words. By rejecting someone a license their freedom of speech has been abridged, thus allowing them to voice their free speech in only the seven major media corporations.
Don't forget these major corporations only got this big by following the LAWS (which congress is not supposed to make laws regarding free speech as you quoted).
My argument is that as we are approaching an ologopolistic media (that was only achievable through government intervention), shouldn't the government protect free speech of individuals in these corporations since it took the free speech away from the little guys by over regulating and requiring licenses in TV and broadcasting and soon to be internet?
So, it's ok for the government to protect free speech, but unfortunately its been regulated out of existance by the government so your free speech is now at the beckoning of 7 major corporations.
I guess you're right that the Imus thing is technically not a first amendment issue, but I honestly belive it is approaching one as the business gets more monopolistic. The government either needs to stop regulating tv, radio, press, and internet (which is against the first amendment by your own acknowledgement), or it needs to protect free speech of the individuals in these massive corporations.