[durasell]

The minute you become a public figure, you give up those rights. Forever. After that, you're at the tender mercy of the press and political opposition.

[wrbones]

You don't give them up. They are taken from you.

The press, as an entertainment industry, has walked all over Freedom of Speech in such fashion as to justify their abuse of other's rights.

This is why we are inundated with opinions instead of news, and yellow journalism instead of integrity and honest reporting of the facts of matters.

We must not forget that any and all parts of the media are BIG business. Their job is to make money, not report the news. Their concern is the bottom line, not the truth.

Rights and freedoms are not privileges, they are responsibilities. Any who uses them irresponsibly endanger the freedom of all.

That lack of responsibility and integrity is why the MSM is beginning to be supplanted by the new media.

Just my opinion...

[maryz]

I assume you're speaking in terms of practice, especially under current American caselaw. Lots of things are quite wrong, even if perfectly legal.

[Mjaye]

The minute you become a public figure, you give up those rights. Forever. After that, you're at the tender mercy of the press and political opposition.<<<<<<

Yes, the candidate knows that the tabloids and other media will go after their family. But the candidates have basically followed an unspoken "gentleman's agreement" of sorts not to go for the family members themselves. Hillary was an exception because she was obviously thinking she was on the ticket, as well. But not the kids.

Kerry and Edwards have demonstrated their lack of class over and over with issues like Mary Cheney. What if Bush had said "There are many more thousands of young people killed in auto accidents than in Iraq, as Senator Edwards and his wife can verify since their own son was killed in a crash instead of in a war." That would be disgusting, as was Kerry's inane remark.