Posted on 11/11/2003 10:23:26 AM PST by LowCountryJoe
According to The Los Angeles Times, "Last summer, the federal government announced a national registry for consumers who want to block telemarketers from calling them. Americans rushed to sign up.
"Of the nation's 166 million residential numbers, 51 million are now off-limits to telemarketers. Despite ongoing court challenges, the list went into effect last month.
"The crackdown might be welcomed by consumers, but not by telemarketers like Millican, many of whom survive on the economic fringe. The nation has lost 2.6 million jobs in two years, and the 'do not call' list is expected to put hundreds of thousands more people out of work."
In "Like It Or Not, Free Speech Protects Telemarketers, Too", Cato's Robert Levy, senior fellow in constitutional studies, argues that "when government sets the rules, it must not discriminate based on the content of the calls. That's what the First Amendment means. Free speech is not subject to plebiscite, no matter how many millions sign up for no-call. [Supreme Court] Justice William Brennan got it right: 'If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.'"
(Excerpt) Read more at cato.org ...
Well, if you enjoy harassing people at home and consider that a legitimate livelihood, by all means, go ahead. A lot of whores have no problems with what they do, either.
Let me get this striaght - You're sitting here bitching about all the useless telemarketers who may lose their jobs and you complain about "bitching and moaning"? Boy, get yourself a mirror!
As for asking the government to help you, I have no symphathy for Democrats, or people who think they aren't Democrats.
Its no different than asking the government to help police my property against other soliciters and tresspassers. Its just that you think there's some magical difference between harassing someone in person and doing so with a telephone. I'm not sure why you would consider that as being a democrat.
Unbearable barrage of phone calls? Wow. Did you wilt? Shrink? Turn pale and have a heart attack? Did you just hide in the closet and cry?
Dude - listen up - its MY telephone and I don't want you or your useless deceptive telemarketers calling me at any hour. Ever! And nobody is entitled to tresspass on my property including my phone line unless I give permission. Is that such a hard concept for you to understand? Apparently, for most telemarketers it is, since the vast majority of people in this country have turned to the government, much like they'd turn to the police, to help enforce that concept.
The more you depend on government to do things for you, the less freedom you will have. All you did was make government bigger and assist large corporations in stepping on small independent businessmen. You sir, are no American.
Baloney - you're making a mountain out of a molehill. This is no different than a do-not-solicit sign for the phone line. And since it involves interstate commerce, the US government is the only logical entity with jurisdiction.
If you think for a minute that your cell phone will remain immune, think again. The marketers are already salivating just thinking about the opportunity to cash in on a new group of customers.
The commerce clause was designed to allow the Federal government to overrule State government restrictions on interstate commerce such as tariffs (or hypothetically, State do-not-call lists). Other than that limited role it has no authority to regulate commerce and especially not to restrict it as in this case.
This doesn't restrict legitimate commerce, but that's not the point. It enforces trespassing laws at the only level large enough to encompass the trespasser and the property owner. No state or local entity has jurisdiction over out-of-state phone calls, nor can it. Only the federal government has the jurisdiction to do so.
And you know that because.....
And I bet the odds are good that if the government actually got rid of whores you would be sorry. If not you, certainly a high percentage of our politicians would be. Such standards you have. Myself, I respect anyone who makes an honest living.
I did spend some time in the industry to study it before I started my own operation. The one thing I noticed when I was on the phone was that the vast majority of people I spoke with assumed I had dark skin. Do you really think that people with such inane powers of judgement are competent to make decisions by themselves? I really don't.
The average American is truly a sheople, and the pols grabbed this one and ran for it because it was a no-brainer decision made by the sheople.
I have the right to say "don't call my house...and if you do...I will call the police..." I pay the bill...YOU DON'T.
Now...if YOU want to pay MY phone bill...then you can tell me to get a life all you want...and I will take my name off the list and say "thanks very much, bye!" all night long. Deal? Didn't think so.
Again...put your money where your mouth is and post your phone number since you don't care and we are all being selfish. You can easily say "thanks very much, bye."
A BUNCH of THESE will REALLY get your name on a "no call list"!
A BUNCH of THESE will REALLY get your name on a "no call list"!
That's when I Zap them with my Zapper! ...it works.
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