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To: Jingo the Clown; Jim Robinson
news media are not required to demonstrate "patriotism." If that's what you'd prefer, you might be more comfortable in China.
The First Amendment traditionally meant that newspapers were free from prior restraint. If you wish to start a newspaper, the government doesn't have constitutional authority to impede your doing so.

It is little noted, however, that broadcast journalism - indeed all broadcasting - is subject to government regulation. If you doubt that, just try broadcasting without a license and see what the FCC and the police do!

The First Amendment speaks of a right to print and a right to speak, and only by implication of a right to read or listen. Broadcasting regulation, OTOH, speaks of the right to hear - and the duty to shut up. Whether or not you remain a registered FR poster, Jingo, you have IMHO a constitutional right to post on the Internet -tho you might need to create your own web site to do so. And whether anyone pays attention to your posting or not is not a question the First Amendment addresses; it's up to you to make your posting interesting and relevant.

Since there is no reason you cannot communicate via the Internet on equal terms with anyone else, the internet is a constitutionally superior venue to the broadcast band. There is no reason why CBS should have the right to broadcast nationwide if you or I do not; the licenses the government gives CBS are essentially illegitimate titles of nobility. And I see no reason why the renewal of those licenses should be granted to systematically anti patriotic broadcasters.


34 posted on 08/18/2005 3:44:27 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters but PR.)
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion

I will attempt to continue to discuss this matter as long as I'm permitted, but I don't hold much hope of that being a long time since open debate is not valued in this forum.


35 posted on 08/18/2005 3:49:39 PM PDT by Son of Jingo
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