Couple of rants today I think...
First is idiot of the day Laura Schlessinger. "Dr." Laura, as she goes by on the radio, is a right-wing ideologue who spouts 90% nonsense while sounding all homey and nice. My first rant about Dr Laura is an old one... She's on the radio spouting advice to her callers like radio therapist Frazier... So you wonder why she calls herself Dr Laura... what is her doctorate in? Psychology? Psychiatry? Sociology? Nope... Physiology... science of the functioning of living systems. How does that make her qualified to give advice? No one knows... As a matter a fact there's a famous scene on West Wing where President Bartlett is hosting a number of radio personalities... including "Dr Jacobs":
BARTLET
I'm sorry, um... you're Dr. Jenna Jacobs, right?
JENNA JACOBS
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
It's good to have you here.
JENNA JACOBS
Thank you.
BARTLET
The awesome impact of the airwaves and how that translates into the furthering of our national
discussions but obviously also how it can... how it can...
He sighs, and addresses Jenna Jacobs again.
BARTLET
Forgive me, Dr. Jacobs. Are you an M.D.?
JENNA JACOBS
Ph.D.
BARTLET
A Ph.D.?
JENNA JACOBS
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
In Psychology?
JENNA JACOBS
No sir.
BARTLET
Theology?
JENNA JACOBS
No.
BARTLET
Social work?
JENNA JACOBS
I have a Ph.D. in English Literature.
BARTLET
I'm asking, 'cause on your show, people call in for advice and you go by the name of
Dr. Jacobs on your show. And I didn't know if maybe your listeners were confused by that,
and assumed you had advanced training in Psychology, Theology, or health care.
JENNA JACOBS
I don't believe they are confused, no sir.
BARTLET
Good. I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an abomination.
JENNA JACOBS
I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.
BARTLET
Yes, it does. Leviticus.
JENNA JACOBS
18:22
BARTLET
Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here.
I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7.
(small chuckles from the guests) She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, and
always clears the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While
thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff, LeoO McGarry, insists on working
on the Sabbath, Exodus 35:2, clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated
to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important,
'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes
us unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins
still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be
together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn
my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?
Jenna Jacobs fidgets uncomfortably.
BARTLET
Think about those questions, would you? One last thing, while you may be mistaking this
for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tightass Club, in this building, when the President
stands, nobody sits.
Jenna Jacobs squirms in her seat but doesn't rise. Bartlet glares meaningfully at her.
She finally rises out of her seat.
I LOVE Aaron Sorkin. Everything he's done... A Few Good Men, The American President, SportsNight, West Wing, Studio 60... Anyway...
Dr Laura is a pompous ass. recently she was on the radio talking with a black woman and somehow the topic of the word "nigger" came up. Now I haven't actually heard the segment and honestly I find it rather annoying that people can't even SAY the word... they have to say "the n-word". Seriously are we talking about Lord Voldemort here? Anyway, it's standard practice to never actually say the word in media but rather say "the n-word". Dr Laura didn't follow that practice. Over the span of about 5 minutes she said "nigger" 11 times. As I said before, I haven't heard it, but I think it was conversation about usage of the word and Dr Laura wasn't calling the lady a "nigger'.
That being said... as expected people went BALLISTIC. At first Dr Laura was unapologetic... then she broke down and actually did apologize.
Finally yesterday she went on Larry King and announced she was ending her radio show... why?
She wanted to regain her 1st Amendment rights... ZOMG.
This is a major pet peeve of mine. Just because someone doesn't like what you've said and complains about it doesn't mean they're denying you your 1st Amendment rights...
First off, let's see what the 1st Amendment actually says...
Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...
See that there... CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW. In other words the government has to let you say whatever you want. And Dr Laura, the government hasn't done anything to you. You're still free to say whatever you want.
Now... That doesn't really mean she CAN say whatever she wants whenever she wants. Because she's an employee of a company and while she's an employee of that company the company has a right to say "We don't want you to say that." Are they infringing on her 1st Amendment rights? Hell no. She still has the right to say them, just not under the auspices of her company. If she doesn't want to follow that rule, she's free to leave and say whatever she wants as a private citizen. If she wants to say "nigger" she has the right to say it until she's blue in the face. At the same time her employer has the right to say "if you say it, you will lose your job."
The same is true for someone's house (or someone's website). It is NOT infringing on your 1st Amendment rights if I say "You're not allowed to say that in my house (or on my website)." It's my house and I make the rules of what is or isn't allowed. If you want to step outside and stand on the sidewalk and say it, feel free. But in my house, I make the rules. I see that all the time on websites when someone is spouting off crap and the moderator comes in and does his/her job and silences them. "Oh your violating my 1st Amendment rights!!!" Shut up your stupid idiot. You don't have a First Amendment right to be an ass on my website.
well actually it looks like I only had one rant... so... laters!
--
JP
2 comments:
1. love the west wing. best thing ever to come from the stupid box (TV).
2. i find that no one actually KNOWS anything about the first amendment, yet everyone thinks it means they can say whatever they want, wherever they want. uh, not quite.
Exactly! It's just like the guy who said he wished Sarah Palin had died in the Alaskan plane crash instead of that other guy. I think he was a former Senator. Anyway, it's his freedom of speech to say so, but it's our right to think he's a douche.
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