Free Speech Misunderstanding

The news of the last few weeks demonstrate the fundamental misunderstanding of the first amendment allowing free speech. We can see this distinction by how Republicans and Democrats treat the issue.

Michael Moore has been championing his movie and decrying all its critics as people trying to stifle his freedom of speech, like Disney's refusal to distribute his movie. Next, we have Whoopi Goldeberg and her rants during the Democratic Fundraiser for John Kerry comparing President Bush to her vagina only to be dumped by Slimfast as a spokesperson. Also, Linda Rondstadt (echoed by Moore) complains that her rights to freedom of speech were infringed upon because she was fired from the Alladin Casino.

But how did the government prevent either Moore, Whoopi or Rondstadt from expressing their beliefs? These people suffered from their statements by patrons and businesses who exercised their rights to employ whomever they want.

Now look at Democratic activity. We have two liberal organizations who are trying to spy on churches and document if they mention politics in any of their sermons here and here. They are then threatening legal action against the churches and their pastors to revoke their tax-exempt status.

Imagine the OUTRAGE if people were trying to revoke the NAACP's tax exempt status for their OBVIOUS partisan politics (calling the Republicans the Taliban and intimating that Bush was somehow involved in the lynching of James Byrd). Also, if we look at what Kitty posted regarding the legal action against someone in Boston who flies a banner supporting Bush, we see how free speech is being stifled BY THE STATE THROUGH LEGAL ACTION!



And don't forget the legal cavorting by the democratic party to keep Ralph Nader off the ballot--which stifles his freedom to run as a candidate for the president.

This belongs in the "stop attacking my patriotism" category. Any critique of someone's record is unpatriotic to Democrats and anyone who exercises their first amendment rights in support of Bush and republicans are SUED, but if consumers and business owners want to have nothing to do with Moore, Whoopi or Rondstadt, that's against free speech.

The double-standard is so obvious it borders on insanity.

UPDATE: Crush Kerry also discusses how protestors at the DNC will not be across the street like at the RNC but actually blocks and blocks away in "cages."



UPDATE II: Jump through Kerry Haters and discover that Michelle Malkin agrees with my analysis:

Unless Sandy Berger filched a page or two I don't know about, there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing the right of entertainers to subject audiences to their half-baked political views.

As The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto noted wryly, "If The New York Times declines to run an op-ed piece by someone with whom [Editorial Page Editor] Gail Collins disagrees, it isn't assuming that the writer 'does not have the same rights as everyone else.' It is merely exercising editorial control over its own property. The Times seems to be arguing that its editors have more rights than the owners of the Aladdin."

Agreed. Read the entire article here.



It's funny that the New York Times mentions the Pirate's of Penzance. Here is a great revamping of the Mondern Major General song:

Kerry :
I am the very model of a modern Kerry-Democrat,
I'm an information animal, a medal-dripping technocrat,
I know the Kennedys of Camelot, and hide my votes historical,
While my Deaniac supporters consult the Usenet Oracle;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters matrimonial,
I understand rich heiresses, and lust for figures patrimonial,
About Republican recessions I'm steaming up my views,
With many bogus facts about the bad news in the better news.

ALL :
With many bogus facts about the bad news in the better news.
With many bogus facts about the bad news in the better news.
With many bogus facts about the bad news in the better news.

Kerry :
I'm very good at counting up my votes without an abacus;
My forehead knows the use of chemicals botoxculous:
In short, in matters bureaucrat , Eurocrat, and plutocrat,
I am the very model of a modern Kerry-Democrat.

ALL :
In short, in matters bureaucrat , Eurocrat, and plutocrat
He is the very model of a modern Kerry-Democrat.

Kerry :
I know our mythic history, Kings Roosevelt and Kennedy;
I answer softball questions, I humm the Clinton threnody,
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of all the Bushes,
With enough votes in November I can ram them up their tushes;

I know a place in France where the women wear no pants,
But if I am elected all CEOS will look askance!
I promise you I’ll can them, be a Democratic zealot,
And whistle all the songs from that infernal nonsense Camelot.

ALL :
And whistle all the songs from that infernal nonsense Camelot.
And whistle all the songs from that infernal nonsense Camelot.
And whistle all the songs from that infernal nonsense Camelot.

Kerry :
Then I will pass a tax bill rich in Senatorial babble,
That will only take more money from the richer of this rabble:
In short, in matters bureaucrat , Eurocrat, and plutocrat,
I am the very model of a modern Kerry-Democrat.

ALL :
In short, in matters bureaucrat , Eurocrat, and plutocrat,
He is the very model of a modern Kerry-Democrat.

Kerry :
When I know what is meant by "blatherin" and "spewin",
When I can tell at sight Mass Distraction from Destruction,
When at affairs for fundraising and payoffs I'm aristocrat,
And when my summer White House will be built in Montserrat,
When I have dubbed as my VP the GynoClinton Senator,
And with her help have shown the Bush clan to the door--
In short, when I’m elected as a Democratic President,
You'll say a better Kerry-Democrat has never been a White House resident.

ALL :
You'll say a better Kerry-Democrat has never been a White House resident.
You'll say a better Kerry-Democrat has never been a White House resident.
You'll say a better Kerry-Democrat has never been a White House resident.

Kerry :
For my military knowledge, though I'm gunshy and NoelCowardly,
I’ll be glad to let the UN rule our Armies most rearwardly;
In short, in matters bureaucrat , Eurocrat, and plutocrat,
I am the very model of a modern Kerry-Democrat.

ALL :
In short, in matters bureaucrat , Eurocrat, and plutocrat,
He is the very model of a modern Kerry-Democrat.

From American Digest.