Why are we so comfortable with the concept that "the tree of liberty must be watered with blood" periodically, and completely uncomfortable with the idea of a very small percentage of children hearing something of a sexual nature? This is the free speach equivalent.
Why should anyone have the right to force their own sexual repression on me? No, I don't even listen to Stern, the stations here don't carry him. OTOH, I probably would if they did, just to relieve the boredom of the 20 mile traffic jam between home & work.
Have you ever listened to the rap "music" the kids like today. No there is real indecency and obscenity--Howard Stern is mild in comparison. This cr@p comes over the public airwaves every day and the move to ban it is feeble compared to the forces against Stern.
Don't take this the wrong way, because you seem like a nice guy, and sincere in your beliefs. But I'm not sure how to answer your question, because frankly it is so asinine. Since when do you have the "right" to hear smut on the public airwaves?
On the contrary, we as a society have the responsibility to ensure that the moral standards and values we were founded upon are passed on from generation, in perpetuity. These moral standards made us great, but our (Baby Boomers, GenX, Generation.com) failure to uphold those standards is doing drastic harm to our nation. It cannot be ignored that with the ever increasing smuttiness of the public airwaves, both TV and radio, we have seen increased drug use among young people, increased teen pregnancy, increased teen crime, dropping out, the disintegration of the family, lower test scores among kids, you name it.
Coincidence? Absolutely not, IMHO. In fact, I think its cause and effect. As we drop our standards lower and lower, as evidenced in part by the rot vomited forth by the likes of Bubba and Stern, our society continues to crumble, maybe to the point of no return.
Have I heard any of the rap/hip-hop garbage that kids are listening to today? Unfortunately yes (there are a number of young dumba**es at work that listen to that drivel). Should the FCC clean up "urban" stations as well as Stern? You betcha. Will they do it? Not likely, because the NAACP, Jesse Jackass, Al The Racist Sharpton, the Congressional Black Caucus, the New Black Panther Party, and any other black rabble rouser group out there will squeal like stuck pigs, and deafen the nation with cries of "racism". But does that mean we shouldn't fine the crap out of Bubba? Hell no. Stick his bloated carcass to the wall, and hope maybe one day someone with a spine at the FCC will decide that something has to be done about "urban" programming.
I don't see the connection between the Jefferson quote that the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots, and your assumed right to hear smut on the radio. Please spell this out for me...remember, I'm the product of the Kentucky government schools, and therefore not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.
As for the "very small percentage of children hearing something of a sexual nature", I have two thoughts. First, what information do you have to back up your assertion that its only a "very small percentage", and secondly, why would you, I, or anyone else want our kids exposed to any material of a sexual nature over a medium we can easily control? That's like saying, "oh don't worry...it's only a little poison we're feeding them...besides they'll probably build up a tolerance to it, anyway". That's just crazy.
Our generation (I'm assuming you're an Xer, like me...if you're not, I apologize) has been raised to believe that we have a "right" to do anything we want, and if we're told we don't have that "right", we should cry and throw temper tantrums until we get it. You don't have a "right" to hear sexual or toilet programming on the public airwaves...be glad that in this day and age you have the Internet, cable TV and satellite radio as an outlet for your prurient interests. Just because the FCC has let it slip this long without doing anything about it, and you've gotten used to being able to hear smut on the public airwaves, doesn't mean it has somehow become a "right". OTOH, you have a responsibility, along with the rest of us, to ensure those moral values and standards that were passed on to us by previous generations are maintained, whether you like it or not. Its time for GenX and Generation.com to grow up, realize we're adults now, and that we have grown up responsibilities...like managing the republic and making sure it survives for subsequent generations to enjoy and prosper.
Finally, I've often thought that I should come up with a Liberal Ten Commandments list. I never did write down all 10, but Commandment One is "thou shalt not come between me and a good time". Don't fall prey to that mentality, as so many others in our generation have. Take care, dude.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!