Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 6:49am

The New First Amendment

Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem have written an op-ed in which they call upon the FCC to revoke the licences of radio stations that carry the Rush Limbaugh show.

That makes this a fitting time to inquire of his syndicator, Clear Channel Communications, whether it intends to continue supporting someone who addicts his audience to regular doses of hate speech. Clear Channel’s Premiere Radio Networks Inc., which hosts Limbaugh’s program, has defended his recent comments.

If Clear Channel won’t clean up its airways, then surely it’s time for the public to ask the FCC a basic question: Are the stations carrying Limbaugh’s show in fact using their licenses “in the public interest?”

Spectrum is a scarce government resource. Radio broadcasters are obligated to act in the public interest and serve their respective communities of license. In keeping with this obligation, individual radio listeners may complain to the FCC that Limbaugh’s radio station (and those syndicating his show) are not acting in the public interest or serving their respective communities of license by permitting such dehumanizing speech.

In the course of an op-ed calling upon the government to restrict free speech rights, the authors compare Rush Limbaugh to Joseph Goebbels.

I know that Wikipedia is not the greatest source of information, but it usually gets the basics correct.  From the article on Goebbels:

Goebbels rose to power in 1933 along with Hitler and the Nazi Party and he was appointed Propaganda Minister. One of his first acts was the burning of books rejected by the Nazis. He exerted totalitarian control over the media, arts and information in Germany.

From Webster’s dictionary:

Irony : 3 a (1): incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2): an event or result marked by such incongruity

Fonda, Morgan, and Steinem might want to have a look at this book before taking to the keyboard again.

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Phil OFS
Phil OFS
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 2:57pm

So Jane Fonda’s input is to deny Limbaugh’s first amendment right to say unstudied, shoot from the hip, stupid things but let’s protect her right to compared him Goebbels. Ms. Fonda needs to study debate and learn what ad hominem argument is.

Foxfier
Admin
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 3:48pm

So… they think that one of the biggest radio shows in the USA isn’t in the public interest….

(Yes, I know it’s the “for your own good” sense, but by that measure there shouldn’t be any music stations.)

Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 3:51pm

Fonda, Morgan and Steinem would have received an understanding nod from Goebbels:

“It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion.”

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 4:12pm

It’s only fair. Same way they serially resuscitate the “fairness doctrine.”

The evil, unjust free market censors imbecilic, vile liberal talk by no one listening and not buying the advertisers.

The government must censor the free market side, or the left can’t destroy freedom.

Free speech for me; not for thee.

lifewrecker
lifewrecker
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 5:26pm

Limbaugh’s radio show is absolutely hate speech. He hasn’t claimed any of his hatred to be religious so that it’s justified (which is the method by which most hate groups get their hate speech legitimized). You really think Jesus would like him?

Maybe you should spend a couple hours listening to flatulent idiocy and distortion of facts. It’s not a Christian radio show, and Limbaugh isn’t much of a Christian given that he’s been married 4 times.

And maybe you should do a search for Limbaugh’s trip to the Dominican Republic where he was found with unprescribed viagra for sex with prostitutes. His voice is a taint on society and it needs to be silenced.

Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 5:31pm

“Limbaugh’s radio show is absolutely hate speech.”

Hate lifewrecker is not defined by what you oppose.

“You really think Jesus would like him?”

No lifewrecker, He would love him. That goes for you too actually in regard to Jesus, as hard as you might find that to believe.

“Maybe you should spend a couple hours listening to flatulent idiocy and distortion of facts.”

Spend three months listening to his show lifewrecker and then report back.

“His voice is a taint on society and it needs to be silenced.”

You truly do not subscribe to this freedom of speech concept do you?

Mary De Voe
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 5:41pm

Three has-beens wanting to see their names in print. Jane Fonda betrayed American GIs at the Hanoi Hilton. Jane Fonda and Tokyo Rose both ought to be begging for their citizenship. Gloria Steinem, the heroine of feminism, did not ever believe she would get old and arthritic. I do not know Robin Morgan and I am glad. The first two shadows darkened our nation like a cloud of locusts. They must want jobs with the Obama administration, but Cass Sunstein has got it. Cass Sunstein is Obama’s Information Czar. He has written 35 books to give animals personhood. No comment.

Paul Primavera
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 6:31pm

The left does not believe in the 1st Amendment, or in free speech, or in the free exercise of religion. It never has. And it never will. But its President desires to reign supreme. I hope on November 6th this changes. Imagine the howling when they will have to actually contend with people who differ from them.

WK Aiken
WK Aiken
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 6:47pm

13,055 comments on CNN.com for the article. The comments section has been closed. Don’t go there if you still believe in the general intelligence of the average American.

I Love this: “Spectrum is a scarce government resource.” Since when? Did Al Gore invent the Electromagnetic Spectrum, too? The only reason it’s monopolized by the government is because early broadcasters wanted their monopoly to be locked down by Federal dictate. And, guess what? Within 15 years it’ll all be silent anyway, as digital podcasts and niche web sources become more and more attractive.

So, The Three Stoogettes may believe that dictatorial censorship would block Limbaugh’s ability to be heard. But in fact it only proves how vapid they and their Weltanschauung really are.

Donna V.
Donna V.
Monday, March 12, AD 2012 10:04pm

WK Aiken, the average American does not comment at CNN.com. CNN watchers are libs – which accounts for the high level of ignorance displayed in the comments.

I agree with Mary De Voe: these are 3 long-in-the-tooth harpies who are desperately trying to remain relevant. Ironically, if this country was as intolerant of free speech as Fonda is,she would have faced a firing squad 40 years ago.

Mary De Voe
Tuesday, March 13, AD 2012 2:48pm

Donna V. Thank you. You said it better than I. I especially like “3 long-in-the-tooth harpies.”

Mary De Voe
Tuesday, March 13, AD 2012 2:55pm

Thank you Donald McClarey for taking their argument apart and supplying us with the truth. I especially like: “You truly do not subscribe to this freedom of speech concept do you?”

Darwin
Darwin
Tuesday, March 13, AD 2012 9:38pm

You would think that Jane Fonda, of all people, would appreciate the benefits of not using the government to punish people for doing highly unpopular things in the media — given that plenty of people would have liked to see her locked up for posing on an anti-aircraft gun that was being used to shoot down US planes during wartime.

Kevin J
Kevin J
Wednesday, March 14, AD 2012 4:11am

The National Organization for Women has a very sophisticated decades-old media project that involves FCC committee lobbying, getting its favored candidates appointed to the FCC board, and increasing women (read:feminist) ownership of media stations. I believe this is why a *breast cancer foundation* was cast as the bad guy oppressing poor little Planned Parenthood. The press is almost entirely feminist-controlled.

If you want to see a similar act of government censorship and intimidation, look up the EEOC commissioner’s response to Don Imus’ remarks a few years ago.

Art Deco
Wednesday, March 14, AD 2012 8:28am

You would think that Jane Fonda, of all people, would appreciate the benefits of not using the government to punish people for doing highly unpopular things in the media — given that plenty of people would have liked to see her locked up for posing on an anti-aircraft gun that was being used to shoot down US planes during wartime.

You would think that an editor at CNN might have returned the submitted text to them with a bland remark that were it published the reputations of the authors would be injured. Maybe the newsroom at CNN is as shot through with egocentric people as the editorial staff at Ms..

Donald R. McClarey
Admin
Wednesday, March 14, AD 2012 8:39am

A few Vietnam veterans exercising their First Amendment rights in regard to Ms. Fonda:

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Monday, March 19, AD 2012 4:00am

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