Talk show hosts are terrorists?
Karen Bass, the Speaker of the California legislature, isn't all that fond of talk show hosts (emphasis mine):
How do you think conservative talk radio has affected the Legislature's work?Say what? Neither Republicans or Democrats are what I would call defenders of free speech, as evidenced by McCain-Feingold and the Fairness Doctrine, but I've never read or heard where talk radio hosts have been equated with terrorists.The Republicans were essentially threatened and terrorized against voting for revenue. Now [some] are facing recalls. They operate under a terrorist threat: "You vote for revenue and your career is over." I don't know why we allow that kind of terrorism to exist. I guess it's about free speech, but it's extremely unfair.
This is the mindset of the progressive. Rights protected from government intrusion, like free speech, are really just privileges granted by government. It's the basic doctrine of progressivism. Nevermind the fact that the Founders believed these rights existed before the creation of any government.
In his majority opinion in Abrams v. United States, Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, "Persecution for the expression of opinions seems to me perfectly logical." He further added that dissent and unpopular speech is something that is merely allowed or tolerated, not necessarily protected.
What Holmes wrote is apparently a view held by Ms. Bass. It's startling, absurd and completely contrary to what beliefs of the Founding Fathers.
H/T: Reason
Comments
talk radio hosts are almost as evil as bloggers
Posted by: joe | June 30, 2009 09:04 PM
Billy called me names. He's a terrorist. Sticks and stones will break your bones but politicians will hurt you.
Posted by: Tomas Estrada-Palma | June 30, 2009 10:43 PM