U.S. Free Speech Continues to Take Beating

From today's New York Times:

EDITORIAL

The Supreme Court and Indecency

Published: March 23, 2008

The Federal Communications Commission has used its new expletives policy to turn itself into a roving censorship board.

We're So Free We Can't Swear in Writing

I hear a lot of politicians talking about how free we are.

Really?

Take for instance this CNN.com story that Pennsylvania police filed disorderly conduct charges because a man used the "F word" on the memo line of a $5 check he used to pay a parking ticket.

Yes, yes, that's the sound of the First Amendment rolling over in its grave.

Seriously, people?

The F word?

Is this f*%$ing kindergarten?

A very large group of people need to read Thoreau's On the Duty of Civil Disobedience!

There will never be a really free and enlightened State, until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly (p. 388).

Luckily for this guy, he did not say "Don't tase me, bro" on the memo line.

Sadly, he caved and apologized before the case went to trial, so the cops dropped the charge.

I hope that a bunch of constitutionally minded young people are currently looking for expired meters in Doylestown, Pa., as we speak.

We Have Lost Sight of Free Expression

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black once said, "No law means no law."

The words "no law" seem rather straightforward and impossible to confuse, but in the history of the court, only Justice William O. Douglas routinely joined Black in this literal interpretation.

It's easy to defend the speech of those with whom we agree, and it's difficult to defend the speech of those with whom we most vehemently disagree. But this country is far poorer when we fail to do so.

But too often these days, we seem to fail to do so.