marmar
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:43 AM
Original message |
When did the Senate become the arbiter of free speech, anyway? |
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Maybe I don't pay enough attention, but how frequently does the Senate vote to condemn something that any organization has said? :shrug:
Keep on rearranging those deck chairs......
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Nederland
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:48 AM
Response to Original message |
1. The amendment had nothing to do with free speech |
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MoveOn's freedom of speech allows it to state it's opinion on a matter.
The Senate's freedom of speech allows it say it doesn't like that opinion.
Freedom goes both ways. It doesn't mean that an organization is free to say whatever it wants without others criticizing it.
Now, given that, I still wish Democrats had voted against the amendment, not because it's an infringement on free speech, but because there was nothing inaccurate in what MoveOn said.
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marmar
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:50 AM
Response to Reply #1 |
2. But since when is it the Senate's charge to go around condemning organizations' positions? |
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Edited on Fri Sep-21-07 09:51 AM by marmar
If that's the case, they ought to be condemning lots of vile organizational positions.
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Nederland
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:57 AM
Response to Reply #2 |
8. They do it all the time |
WinkyDink
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:50 AM
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3. Government officials should NOT be in the business of rebuking ANY CITIZEN'S EXERCISE of FREE SPEECH |
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Senators are NOT just any OTHER citizens expressing disapproval; they are LAW-MAKERS.
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Nederland
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:56 AM
Response to Reply #3 |
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The Senate never rebuked anybody's right to free speech, they rebuked what somebody had to say.
Why can't people on this board grasp the difference?
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." --Voltaire
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Beelzebud
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:51 AM
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4. You know that, but how many average Americans do? |
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To a lot of people this was a rebuke of free speech.
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jobycom
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:52 AM
Response to Original message |
5. Never. When do you think they tried? |
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One cool thing about the Constitution is that it guarantees free speech even to pompous assholes like US Senators. Therefore, if they wish to waste valuable time expressing their opinion about political nonsense, they can.
Now if they tried to pass a law limiting speech, rather than simply stating their dumb-ass opinion on something someone far greater than them said, then they'd be interfering with free speech. But since I haven't heard of them doing that lately, I won't break out the "dictator" label. Just the Dumb-ass Demagogue Doofuses label.
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BlooInBloo
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Fri Sep-21-07 09:54 AM
Response to Original message |
6. I'm not convinced the "chilling effect" principle couldn't be applied... |
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Mon May 06th 2024, 02:25 AM
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