The Federal Censorship Commission

www.townhall.com ^ | April 23, 2004 | Neal Boortz

[xrp]

Until such time a parent has the ability to block out offensive stations on a typical radio, the Howard Sterns of the world will simply need to tone it down a little.

Hey Eva Braun, how about if you try actually parenting your children instead of turning them over to the TV or radio?

[verity]

Castrate both Stern and Bortz!

[xrp]

Parents stand no chance against the constant bombardment their children are exposed to, either at home, during what is suppose to be family time viewing, during sleep overs at friends.

Give me a break. Discontinue your cable service. Get a television that allows for channel blocking or requiring passcodes for certain channels. Here's an idea, DON'T HAVE A TELEVISION. Or if you do have one, only rent/buy DVDs that you approve of for your children.

If you allow your children to sleep over at their friends, don't you think it is a GOOD IDEA to talk to that friend's parents FIRST and establish the guidelines of what you feel is acceptable exposure for your children while your children are there, otherwise your children will never sleep over there again?

The amount of excuses that some people bark about to avoid parenting is absolutely astonishing.

[xrp]

Absolutely DEVASTATING line from Boortz! I wish I could get him up here in Maine, I used to listen all the time in Jacksonville.

You can go to www.boortz.com or www.wsbradio.com and stream his radio show off the Internet. 830am-1pm Eastern Time.

[hchutch]

Both of you guys have good points.

The problem is, what is to be done? Do we start coming up with a ratings system? And at what point do we ask fellow Americans to assume SOME responsibility for themselves and their families?

[Dan from Michigan]

I've been saying that for years now, but Boortz says it much better than I have.

[Long Cut]

"You can be arrested for repeating a Howard Stern show in public--it's known as "indecent behavior." True enough; at least in SOME areas. Whilst Stern might raise moral hackles in some smaller towns in the heartland, in such areas as New York or LA, he appears positively tame. "Community Standards", yes?

I could also make the point that there are quite a few activities that will land one in the hoosegow but which are NOT evil or harmful to others in any direct sense.

I guess the question becomes, "Is sacrificing that bit of Liberty justified by the protection offered?" In the case of "risque' radio", I believe the answer is no.

I also believe that this course we seem to be on is frought with unintended consequences. Whilst stationed in Jacksonville, I thouroughly enjoyed listening to Bubba The Love Sponge. Despite the slings and arrows that particular gentleman has taken alongside Stern, it is little reported indeed that he was a conservative, progun Bush supporter. Leftists who called his show were regularly pilloried in a fashion that only a "shock jock" could do. So too were Hollywood Leftists and celebrity degenerates of all stripes. Wrapped in language and humor for the hard-working, hard-playing person, with some sex stuff for the spice, the conservative message got out to many who did not normally think of such things.

I DO believe that it is not that far a jump from "shock jocks" to "hate radio". We have opened a door here that the first Leftist in the Oval Office in the future will be only too happy to jump through.

[hchutch]

And the other thing to think about is that the Left would not hesitate to stab a few of their folks in the back just so they could set up conservatives for a nasty fall. Look at history. Look how the Left has treated some allies - and then turned on them.

Michael Moore is a creep and a jerk, but if someone can shut him up, then who else could be told to shut up? Limbaugh?

[hchutch]

Allow me to add one other note here:
Michael Copp is a Democrat - and the DNC has been very upset with things like talk radio.

They tried a straight run at Limbaugh with the Fairness Doctrine in the early 1990s. Anyone remember the "Fairness in Broadcasting Act" back in 1993?

Problem was, they got stopped cold. They need a new route to do the job - and they need a precedent that not so many folks will care about. The "shock jocks" are the perfect target for them. Conservatives hate `em becuase they get a little risque and/or off-color. Liberals hate `em because a number of them are not PC.

They just need to establish a precedent to either yank people from the air OR to intimidate the companies that own the stations.

[Long Cut]

Good point. It wouldn't be the first time the Left has gone after something "on the edge" of acceptability in a backdoor maneuver to get to the mainstream. I call it the "EX-treme to MAIN-stream" tactic. For another fine example, I give you "assault weapons".

When the subject of a ban on those first came up, even Republicans supported it, thinking that those who preferred them were somewhere "out there". It was a PERFECT way to push gun control another few steps, and it completely suckered Republican politicians, including (to his sorrow) a President.

[timm22]

If we take your premise that this is a free speech issue would you endorse for example the Greeter at a Wal-Mart on meeting your wife,mother or girl friend with "Yo, Ho. Nice rack"?

I certainly wouldn't like if he said that. In fact, I'd probably complain to the store owner- not the government.

[ijcr]

Perhaps my anology was wrong...how about the Civil Servant
at the Post Office counter or the in the Passport office or in your Senator's office or an FBI agent,an IRS agent,an EPA
operative,a Fish and Wildlife employee,a Park Ranger.

You would run to the government like a squealing pig via your attorney's office!

[TheSilverHair]

Aye, and I've got a right to beat the bastard. Though I do see your point, and partially agree with it, this is one of those lovely "gray areas" where the framers of the Constitution failed to foresee the amazing ingenuity of fools. Nothing is foolproof. That includes freedom of speech.
I'm mostly worried about my own rights. However, if a way is presented that A) can remove Stern, and B) doesn't give liberals a way to trample MY rights, then go for it.
Come on, people. Let's try and see what we come up with.
And about tape-delay... good point. Never thought about that.
And you also summed up liberal viewpoints on EVERYTHING. Sure, the public has the right (to speech, arms, etc.), but they can't be trusted with it!

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Nonsense. As Neal Boortz said, “public ownership of the airwaves is an idea created by politicians for no purpose other than to legitimize government control."

I can't agree. The radio frequency spectrum is a finite resource. I believe the only way to prevent absolute chaos in the use of frequencies is some kind of control. If anyone and everyone could broadcast a TV signal on, for example, the frequency known as Channel 2 of the VHF television band, all of the signals would interfere with one another.

Do you want every guy with a transmitter transmitting on police or fire communications frequencies?

Even satellite transmissions are made over discrete frequencies. If you spent $500 million putting up a satellite, would you want any jackass in the world to use its capabilities?

[timm22]

Perhaps my anology was wrong...how about the Civil Servant at the Post Office counter or the in the Passport office or in your Senator's office or an FBI agent,an IRS agent,an EPA operative,a Fish and Wildlife employee,a Park Ranger.

Those are all government employees. Howerd Stern and other talk radio hosts are not government employees.

[Robert_Paulson2]

here's a clue...
they aren't trying to avoid parenting THEIR children, as much as they ARE trying to parent YOU and YOURS.... through the power of their God and savior from all sin....

the federal government.

It makes me want to PUKE that folks CLAIMING to be conservatives, want to increase the LORDSHIP of the federal government over it's citizenry.

and NO the public does NOT own the airwaves.
But that will be fought in court.

and won.
again.
looking to government as the God of everyone's lives...
BLASPHEMY. Tyranny.

[kms61]

"It makes me want to PUKE that folks CLAIMING to be conservatives, want to increase the LORDSHIP of the federal government over it's citizenry."

And many of them are hanging out on this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1123457/posts

[Robert_Paulson2]

Exactly.
and that's what this is all about.
building the perfect system that they can use to shut down "immoral, hate filled speech" JUST LIKE FREE REPUBLIC....

and don't think for five seconds they don't nave over 100 federal judges in the bag to rule just that.

and they will.
Only a fool could miss the ultimate intent of misapplication of power.

It's funny how many folks who posted here years ago, got all pissed off about it when AOL started blocking this site... THIS WEBSITE for being offensive.

unbelievable how getting ONE president elected, by the skin of our teeth, electorally speaking... while losing the popular vote... makes us act like we are the ones in power, swinging that big federal stick.

Good thing we are ahead on the WAR issue, and the economy... because a few more "censorship" issues might just cause us to lose otherwise.

Many Americans don't like being censored.
Don't like a nanny state.
But many of the former nanny state dems, have migrated to the pubbie nanny state side of the republican party.

Looks like a lot of em have taken up residence here as religiocons...

but they still worship their old God and Savior... the government.

pathetic.

[Cultural Jihad]

". . . the FCC has a much broader roll to fill . . ."

A jelly roll? Or one filled with butter?

[MissAmericanPie]

How about we just have decent public entertainment? If you want X-rated go pay for it at an adult store instead of inflicting filth on everyone else.

Even commercials are out of control. I'm leading two repair men into the den last week to the tv blaring about cures for femine itch, for pete sake. Now there is a commerical where an idiot uses her tampon to stop a leak in a sinking canoe her boyfriend is rowing her around in.

I shouldn't have to turn the tv off, public tv needs cleaning up and so do violent shows like Jackass and other reality tv shows.