People Against Censorship

ParrotHead Elm · Post by **ParrotHead Elm** » May 31, 2007 3:56 pm

Hi all.

Just wanted to direct you to something I think is worthwhile. It's www.PeopleAgainstCensorship.com

With the recent spate of firings and suspensions in the radio community due to what hosts like Imus, JV & Elvis and Opie & Anthony have said, there's a growing community of people who are willing to fight against special interest groups and the likes of 'Weird' Al Sharpton and their market terrorist tactics--threatening boycotts of sponsors and what not.

It makes you wonder what's next. If someone doesn't like the sexual content of Buffett's "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw" are they going to start a protest and boycott the sponsors supporting Buffett? You think it's far fetched, but it's not. Freedom of speech is coming under fire all around us. Especially reprehensible is the Opie & Anthony situation. They were hired to do outrageous, uncensored radio on XM satellite Radio. People pay to listen to them and it's on a channel that is easily blocked--an XL, for extreme language, channel. If you don't like their brand of radio show, you will literally never hear it. It's a pay subscription service.

This is tantamount to protesting a comedian performing in a club because you don't like what you think the comedian says in his act, even though you're not even in the club. You didn't decide to buy a ticket. Or organizing boycotts against businesses affiliated with HBO because you are offended by the violence on "The Sopranos," even though you're not even an HBO subscriber. The people who buy tickets to see the comedian want to hear the outrageous material in his act and the people who pay for HBO to see "The Sopranos" know it's violent. They expect it to be violent.

Anyway, before I yammer on too much, I ask that you go to the site and join up. Let us decide for ourselves what we want to hear...or would you prefer that special interest groups decide for you?

I think it was Voltaire who said something to the effect of, "I don't like what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

bocanuts · Post by **bocanuts** » May 31, 2007 3:59 pm

I support everyone's right to offend one another!

TropicalTroubador · Post by **TropicalTroubador** » May 31, 2007 8:29 pm

F*ck Censorship!

Staredge · Post by **Staredge** » May 31, 2007 9:28 pm

While I think it's a load of horsecrap when someone is thrown off the air because someone else doesn't like what was said, it's not censorship. They're not being told that they can't say it. They're not being thrown in jail BECAUSE they said it. Other people are exercising THEIR freedom of speech to object. Private companies are exercising their right to not continue to air a show that is objectionable to whatever market segment is making the most noise. Censorship involves the Government making laws and taking action against speech. While there are arguments to be made about the government doing just that, this isn't the case (or the thread). There was no censorship (strictly defined) in Imus' firing, just political correctness run amuck.

The Lost Manatee · Post by **The Lost Manatee** » May 31, 2007 9:47 pm

Staredge wrote:While I think it's a load of horsecrap when someone is thrown off the air because someone else doesn't like what was said, it's not censorship. They're not being told that they can't say it. They're not being thrown in jail BECAUSE they said it. Other people are exercising THEIR freedom of speech to object. Private companies are exercising their right to not continue to air a show that is objectionable to whatever market segment is making the most noise. Censorship involves the Government making laws and taking action against speech. While there are arguments to be made about the government doing just that, this isn't the case (or the thread). There was no censorship (strictly defined) in Imus' firing, just political correctness run amuck.

You raise some very good points however we are looking at a government that is currently considering a bill that would require the FCC to regulate XM and Sirius, just like they do commerical radio and TV. If this passes it will mean that shock jocks and explicit lyrics, etc. will be fined for each violation of the current rules. That will be censorship, pure and simple.