To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. ― Theodore Roosevelt On March 10, 2003, at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire theatre in London, Natalie Maines stepped to […]
Tag Archives: free speech
Forget free speech. What does clicking "Like" on Facebook even mean?
On Friday, the Chicago Tribune posted an AP article by Brock Vergakis about a recent federal court decision as to whether “liking” a page on Facebook constitutes free speech. In brief, employees “liked” a competitor’s Facebook page. The employer (a sheriff running for re-election) fired them. Fired employees sue. Plaintiff’s claim, paraphrased? “Our first amendment rights […]
Limbaugh brays on: louder, emptier, closer to the end
Limbaugh is slowly dying, like the dinosaur that he is, bit by bit. As sponsors escape, he doesn’t need any help from the FCC. Thus, I disagree with calls that he be fired. Just watching him losing advertisers is a joy in itself – the beginning of the end.
Mark Twain and public discourse
The prevailing argument among our brilliant crew of writers here at S&R lately over our public discourses v. those of our opponents goes something like this: some of us want to take the high road in public discussion of the issues; some of us want to go into the same attack dog mode that our […]
Celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred wants Florida to prosecute Limbaugh using forgotten statute: she's the best thing that's happened to Rush in weeks
I wonder what Rush Limbaugh will be talking about on his show this coming week? Ah, maybe this: In a letter dated March 8, [celebrity lawyer Gloria] Allred, writing on behalf of the Women’s Equal Rights Legal Defense and Education Fund, requested that Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe probe whether the conservative radio […]
Imagine there's no boycotts: that sounds like Communism to me
Following up on yesterday’s post about how unfair it is when progressives fight fire with fire… One of the architects of the modern conservative boycott movement back in the day was the now-deceased Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the “Moral Majority.” His strategy was simple. Identify those television and radio stations whose programming “promoted” a […]
Free Speech for Dummies (and Dittoheads)
Last October, country music star Hank WIlliams, Jr. made a remark about Obama and Hitler playing golf, touching off a controversy that saw ESPN end its relationship with Williams (who had been singing the Monday Night Football intro song for what seemed like 100 years). Williams reacted predictably: After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have […]
Give me Liberty Park or give me death
AP photo from Eldorado News-Times, Eldorado AR In 1913, Colorado coal miners went on strike to demand enforcement of the 8 hour workday law, to secure payment for “dead work” such as laying railroad track and timbering, for which JD Rockefeller Sr and the other coal barons paid nothing, and to gain the right to […]
#Occupy Portland: The end of free speech, or the end of taking responsibility?
By Greg Stene The City of Portland and the Occupy movement are both to blame for Portland’s impending Sunday morning, at 12:01 a.m., dismantling of the Occupy movement’s tent city in downtown Portland. They’ve both blown an excellent opportunity for the protection of both free speech and the community’s rights. Here’s why: Basically, though parks […]
Are you ready for some FOOOTBAALLLL?! A couple of notes on the Hank Williams, Jr. hullaballoo
Hank Williams, Jr. said some stupid shit. Because, you know, he’s not exactly a rocket surgeon or a model of progressive, pro-human ideals. I can’t imagine that this comes as much a surprise to anyone. Now ESPN has done what they pretty much had to and kicked Hank to the curb. Read all about it. Two […]
A morality play: When Rupert Murdoch entered Parliament
Any morality play has its set-piece characters. The villain, the outraged public, the crusading representatives of order. Democracy in the UK is very tactile. Parliament is the voice and instrument of the people. Anyone, no matter how powerful, can be summoned to answer questions before the people. These performances can destroy careers and reputations but […]
Readers are as good at being regulators as viewers are at judging talent shows
Jeff Jarvis, scion of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism, took issue with my Twitter response expressing the belief that newspaper buyers are complicit in the actions of newspaper producers (wrt to News of the World, for our American readers). He took it further in a blog post, “Readers are our Regulators.” I disagree. If […]
Supreme Court ruling on video games only an assault on bad parenting
by Tom Shortell The Supreme Court ruled Monday it’s unconstitutional to ban the sale of violent video games to children, striking a severe blow to lazy parents across the nation. In a 7-2 decision that cast aside typical alliances of the court, the court ruled that video games as a medium are protected under the […]
Righthaven LLC may have wrong approach, but news companies need to protect content
by Jane Briggs-Bunting Stephens Media and its erstwhile partner, Righthaven LLC, lost a significant copyright battle in both Nevada and likely Colorado when a Nevada judge ruled Tuesday that Righthaven did not have standing to sue alleged copyright infringers who had reproduced articles and other content from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. It’s yet another push by news […]
The most dangerous idea ever: why the tea party is right after all. Sort of.
The American econo-political system has always been a dangerous proposition, an egg balanced on a knife blade six feet above a concrete floor. Sure, most countries have elements of the American solution. Many countries now have peaceful exchanges of power decided by voters. Most Western nations have pretty strong protections for individual rights, and in […]
S&R Honors
Click here to learn more about past honorees...- “Useful Enemies”: U.S. admitted not just Nazis after WWII, but their sadistic collaborators
- The time a source has to respond to request for comment? Virtually none.
- Profiling the Tea Party: In defense of the IRS. Sorta. Or not.
- Saturday Video Roundup: “Imagine the Band,” by John Lennon and Wings
- The Rest is Noise (6)—Descent into the Maelstrom
- Mystery Unraveled: How a white, moderate, married, churchgoing, middle-class, middle-aged woman could vote for Obama
- An open letter to Burt Rutan, regarding his WSJ commentary on human-caused climate disruption
- Meet the men of Match.com: Really, guys, are you serious?
- Climate scientists still besieged
- Pelosi on Bush: “He’s not worth impeaching”
- Carnival of Cities for 15 May 2013 | Sheila's Guide To The Good Stuff: […] Turkey Scholars & Rogues present…
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Samuel Smith: I try not to draw too many conclusions about peopl…
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Frank Dilatush: Sam, allow me a moment of off point please. In a s…
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Cat White: "To him, obviously, the Tea Party is a viable poli…
