Is free speach dead?

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=150856

Personally I really don't like the way this is headed. And all of you who know me know that I often side with Bush. This time I think government is going waaaay too far.

They have not yet actually censored anybody. Clear Channel pulled the show themselves. Not the government.

But we could be heading that way. Who's to say if they start getting away with censoring free speach it will end with indecency. If this happens it opens the door for Big Brother to shut down anything it does not like or does not play into it's political scheme.

I listen to Howard and Mancow both. I Flip around. Do they push the envelope. Sure. It needs to be pushed. Do I agree with everything they say. Of course not. But I have the power to change the station. Imagine that.

TV still gets away with way more. And now because JJ showed her boob everyone is freaking out. We are headed for some really sad times it this happens...

Everything is too politically correct. While I do not agree with anything racist or prejudist, I don't think everything needs to be so PC. As for the Howard Stern thing, even though he pushes the envelope, how can he know what a caller is going to say? Calls are screened before hand, but once it's live, that person isn't commited to what they want to say. Its how fast the DJ can disconnect them. Plenty of times I will listen to post game shows on the radio and you can usually count on an irate fan to cuss on the air. Does that mean all post game shows should be taken off air? No. I think a lot of this is the media blowing things out of proportion and/or small radical groups losing their minds over isolated incidents. But as long as we are able to, as a group, voice our opinions, free speach will not die. I don't think society here and now would allow for it.

[QUOTE=Spectra]Everything is too politically correct. While I do not agree with anything racist or prejudist, I don't think everything needs to be so PC. [/QUOTE]

We actully agree 100% on something.
Pulls up a bar stool and waits for Spectra

Also I've "heard" some reports (I'll have to do some actual research)
But, the condensed version is that countries that are not all wound up and afraid of being PC and afraid of sex actually have "much" less sexual crimes. Mainly because they are not all worked up about it.

[QUOTE=pank]Also I've "heard" some reports (I'll have to do some actual research) But, the condensed version is that countries that are not all wound up and afraid of being PC and afraid of sex actually have "much" less sexual crimes. Mainly because they are not all worked up about it.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. To use North America (more the US to a certain extent) I believe we have changed way too fast. It was only 50 years ago that minorities and women were oppresed openly. Now, to try and rectify the situation, we have PC'd everything to death. I speak my mind, but I have to be so careful in doing so. Especially because I am a redneck from a small town and not a city. I am so afraid to offend some "city slicker" or step on any toes. Of course the intentions are good. Oppressing anyone is wrong, and what happened in the past is unforgiveable, but now we are so worked up about everything, we are almost looking for an excuse to fight another for what they say. What it should be is about respect. Now how that is determined, I don't know. I fear we may be too late and things will remain at a very strict PC level. It's hard to reverse for fear of digressing back into the past.

Thoughts?

edit: uh, yeah, this is the free speach thread. I'm a moron. :D

I enjoy Howard Stern as much as anybody (on TV, E! has TV show of radio show, we can't get Howard on the radio around here). I also listen to Mancow whenever I'm in Des Moines, but it's the fact that young kids can easily flip on a radio and flip it to Stern or Mancow. I'm on the fence about HOW to keep my as-yet-unborn children from hearing what some people say in public venues (television, radio), and I also don't know how I feel about the government intervening into blocking what I watch or listen to, but I do think that there should be some sort of a "V-chip" integration into the radio network. With the advent of digital radio broadcasts (not satellite, totally different, SEE LINK (woohoo, Iowa was first in something)) it may be possible, but until then I think the DJs and the stations that carry them need to censor themselves.

EDIT: Wasn't done yet:
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I think the Christian Right thinks that even the fact that Howard Stern is alive is tainting the entire population of the earth. I'm a pretty strong right-winger, but when people like Michael Gallagher and Sean Hannity blame the problems of society on a single entity like Howard Stern that they are completely off their rockers.

To the Forum Topic: Not whilst I am alive and breathing.

Mattboy. Don't you think that a lot of the responsibility falls on the parents? If a "child" is listening to Stern or Mancow then they are with their parents. I see no real good reason why a young child would ever hear that unless Mommy or Daddy had it on. In which case you have bad parenting skills.

Now once the child gets to the age to where they can be on their own without 24/7 supervision it changes the dynamics. But I still feel the "majority" should be on the parents shoulders. No matter what Hillary says it does not take a village. It takes a loving family. Right and wrong need to be taught at home.

EDIT: right on the money Pank.

This could be the beginning of the end of free speech. Very important that everyone talks about how much this could hurt America's freedom.

Look at the Patriot Act - nothing is off limits anymore as far as search and seizure, why should anything be off limits as far as "decency"? Watch the religious right whiddle down all that our constitution stands for? I think not.

I have artwork that I designed up right now on ClearChannel billboards. ...and I'm not very f'n comfortable about that right now. Nazi Bastards.

I don't think I need to comment any more. You all know where I stand on this f'n bullsh...

(ya see how I did that? see how I censored myself? clever, eh? I'm so "decent" now.)

And why should it not be ClearChannel's decision what they play and do not play? I think if they want to take it off the air they should be able to, I frankly don't understand why you are patronizing them for that.

To Pank, I don't know any kid (don't know many, but don't know any) that don't have a clock-radio in their room. When I was in 2nd grade, I would be cleaning my room and would listen to the radio whilst doing it. I do think yes, the parents should bear responsibility for what their kids are exposed to, but the radio is far too public of a forum for some of the content that is there. Unfortunately Stern, Mancow, and Bob & Tom are all morning shows, where it's not as easy to shield your children from. Adult television shows are played at night, why shouldn't radio be the same?

I agree on the whole government going too far thing. If the government decides what is considered obscene then that just puts the power of censorship into whichever party is in charge. Like the majority party would have the power to censor opposing views with the excuse of decency. Not that that is likely to happen, but it's just not a good place for the government to be.