[dfwgator]

The 1st Amendment right to free speech is a worthy ideal, but it will never catch on and, in fact, it looks like we we are steadily moving further away from that ideal. We now have more of a right to ramain silent then a right to speak out. Saying what you believe can get you in hot water, can inhibit your career potential, can get you ostracised, can get you fired, can get you sued, can get you labeled as a bigot / hater / intolerant / homophobe / etc, can lose you an election, can scar you for life, can turn you into a "person of interest," can get you dead,......

The notion of "Freedom of Speech" is only a contract between the government and the individual. You say that speaking your mind can get you fired, but that is between the employer and the individual, not the government. If your employer doesn't like what you say, why shouldn't they be able to fire you, the Constitution doesn't give you a right to a job.

[Consort]

The notion of "Freedom of Speech" is only a contract between the government and the individual. You say that speaking your mind can get you fired, but that is between the employer and the individual, not the government.

It applies even if you work for the government, are part of the government, appointed, elected or otherwise; civilian, military, etc.

If your employer doesn't like what you say, why shouldn't they be able to fire you, the Constitution doesn't give you a right to a job.

Yes, all the repercussion I mentioned, except "can get you dead", are legal. The "can get you dead" part is not legal, but it is real. It all proves my point, IMO.