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Free speech and the flag
The Spartanburg Herald-Journal ^ | August 20, 2002 | Editorial Staff

Posted on 08/20/2002 5:45:04 AM PDT by aomagrat

Who is really trampling on free speech? Is it a private company that tries to limit its association with a particular viewpoint? Or is it a lawmaker who tries to marshal the power of the state to punish the corporation for its policy?

SCANA, the parent company of South Carolina Electric and Gas announced a policy last week aimed to ensure that the company is not associated with certain viewpoints.

SCANA employees are prohibited from displaying the Confederate flag on their vehicles while on company property. They are also prohibited from parking company vehicles in the parking lots of Maurice Bessinger’s barbecue restaurants.

Bessinger has defended slavery and placed literature defending it at his restaurants. Like the supermarkets that distanced themselves from this viewpoint by refusing to sell Bessinger’s sauce, SCANA also wants to make sure that the public at large doesn’t believe that the company supports Bessinger’s point of view.

All this is within SCANA’s rights. SCANA employees have freedom of speech but not necessarily on company time and property. Any business has a right to limit the message that is sent out by its representatives. If SCANA does not want its associates sending a neo-Confederate message on its time, then it can limit the displays allowed on company property.

But state Sen. Glenn McConnell isn’t willing to accept SCANA’s policy. He says the policy “tramples on free speech.”

Then, as if the state needs an example of trampling on free speech, he proposes a perfect model.

McConnell proposes a law that would punish SCANA for this policy. He wants to deny state contracts for any business with a policy such as SCANA’s. He also wants to change the state’s utility structure so that SCANA’s monopoly is taken away.

McConnell says he doesn’t care whether SCANA would lose millions or go out of business as a result of his bill. He says he will push it unless SCANA changes its mind.

The real threat to free speech comes from McConnell. He doesn’t like SCANA’s point of view, and he wants to use the power of the state to punish the company. It’s inexcusable.

Fortunately, most of his fellow Republicans say they won’t support McConnell in his anti-SCANA efforts. But they say they won’t support him because they don’t want to make changes in the state’s utility structure.

It’s unfortunate that his Republican colleagues won’t publicly rebuke McConnell for attacking the free speech rights of SCANA even as he pretends to protect that same value.

McConnell’s proposal is dangerous to the state’s utility system. And it’s an interference in business. But his efforts at government censorship should be denounced for exactly what they are — an attack on the First Amendment.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: confederateflag; dixielist; scana; southernheritage
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To: billbears
"What I want to know is why don't they go after the descendants of the men who sold them into slavery? You know, the tribes of Africa that sold their enemies and are now in power in places like Zimbabwe, where they're chasing white farmers out of the nation"

There you go again, muddying up their issue with facts. When will you ever learn? < /sarcasm >

21 posted on 08/20/2002 8:47:25 AM PDT by sweetliberty
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To: Non-Sequitur
Did up Sherman and Grant and take them to court. Take what you get from them and give it to every single living southerner who personally suffered material damages from the actions of the Union army. You know, the same kind of offer made on all these black reparations posts. Until you can agree to that then DiLusional's reparations cause is just as phony and just as bogus as N'Cobra's. And until you can show a better reason than N'Cobra can I'll have to assume you support their cause, too.

LOL!! Good Lord man!! I was just joking with you (well partially). However if you want to get technical, slave trade could be said to only be condoned by the US government, not a direct action of the US government, as the illegal attack on women, children, and property was by the union army. They were working directly for the US government. I say we call it square. I don't want anyone's money, and heck the LAST place I would want it from is the government of these United States. That would in effect continue the crutch of burden that Hamilton and Clay called for, and lincoln instituted.

22 posted on 08/20/2002 8:57:42 AM PDT by billbears
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To: billbears
Yeah, but I don't see where in the article ol' Tommy D. said, "Aha. I gotcha. I'm only kidding. This Kershaw chump is as loony as the New Black Panther party guy is." He acts like he thinks he has a case. And if Kershaw has a case then N'Cobra has a case. If N'Cobra is nothing but a bunch of con artists then so is Kershaw. Simple as that. And if you think that Kershaw has a case but Sister Firestarter, et. al. don't, then it's just the latest in an increasing list of southron hypocrisy.
23 posted on 08/20/2002 9:12:19 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: shuckmaster
well said!

offhand, i can't think of a major periodical in SC that is PRO-flag! the liars, bootlickers,scalawags & damnyankees who own/manage the newspapers are CRUDS and while they have the right to speak, they imVho, do NOT have the right to either attempt to silence opposing viewpoints or to LIE about the things they print as NEWS. EDITORIALS should be, OBVIOUSLY, so identified.

free the southland,sw

24 posted on 08/20/2002 9:41:45 AM PDT by stand watie
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To: billbears
YEP, it IS! TRUTH WILL OUT!

the war was/IS about just one thing: FREEDOM for DIXIE!

free the southland,sw

25 posted on 08/20/2002 9:44:17 AM PDT by stand watie
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To: Non-Sequitur
N-S,

FYI, i think BOTH groups are NUTS!

reparations are a FARCE, BUT an APOLOGY to the families of MURDERED/TORTURED/ABUSED POWs and for WAR CRIMES committed against innocent civilians (particuliarly against SLAVES!) is definitely in order.

a NATIONAL DAY of REMEMBERANCE & PRAYER would be acceptable to all in the southland. keep your $$$$$$$$$; we do NOT want any dirty $$$$$$$.

free the south,sw

26 posted on 08/20/2002 9:53:27 AM PDT by stand watie
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To: stand watie
BUT an APOLOGY to the families of MURDERED/TORTURED/ABUSED POWs and for WAR CRIMES committed against innocent civilians (particuliarly against SLAVES!) is definitely in order.

That is a gracious offer, quite out of character for you, but one I respect. OK. Go ahead, apologize. I'll accept.

27 posted on 08/20/2002 9:59:14 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Non-Sequitur
Go ahead, apologize. I'll accept.

LOL!! I'm sure you would. Don't hold your breath.

28 posted on 08/20/2002 10:02:05 AM PDT by billbears
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To: billbears
Isn't that what he meant???
29 posted on 08/20/2002 10:03:39 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Non-Sequitur
Uh, no. And from experience in waiting on apologies, we've been waiting oh, about 140 years and hadn't heard a peep from y'all yet!!
30 posted on 08/20/2002 10:06:08 AM PDT by billbears
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To: billbears
I guess it was the slave apolgy that threw me. I know. I'll apologize for to the families of MURDERED/TORTURED/ABUSED POWs and for WAR CRIMES committed against innocent civilians (particuliarly against SLAVES!) by the North and sw can apologize to the families of MURDERED/TORTURED/ABUSED POWs and for WAR CRIMES committed against innocent civilians (particuliarly against SLAVES!) by the confederates. Him first.
31 posted on 08/20/2002 10:08:39 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: shuckmaster
Who owns that filthy rag now?

(Spbg Herald-Journal)
32 posted on 08/20/2002 11:46:55 AM PDT by one2many
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To: Non-Sequitur
I wasted a fair amount of time on Saturday watching the C-Span coverage

That figures.

33 posted on 08/20/2002 11:48:54 AM PDT by one2many
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To: sweetliberty; billbears
Gents there are some little yapping chihuahuas at FR who really don't want you to read these books or put them in your family library:

-------------------------------------

18 of these available now at ABE:

Polanyi, Karl and Rotstein, Abraham Dahomey and the Slave Trade Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1966 Hard Cover. Very Good Plus/Very Good Plus. First Edition. Africa. Bookseller Inventory # 003459 Price: US$ 30.00

-------------------------------------

0 of these available now at ABE:

Theophilus Conneau A Slave Trader's Log Book

-------------------------------------

37 of these available now at ABE:

Dow, George Francis SLAVE SHIPS & SLAVING Coles Publishing 1980. Very Good-; Softcover; White sticker covering stamp on first pg, pg edges browned a bit. Bumped corners. ; ; 349 pp. Bookseller Inventory # 2928 Price: US$ 12.00

34 posted on 08/20/2002 12:00:53 PM PDT by one2many
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To: aomagrat

This shows the depth the liberal socialist PC whores will sink to to get our Constitutional rights annhilated.

Well you know what they say "Liberty is founded on 4 boxes. 1st The Soap Box, 2nd is the Ballot Box, 3rd is the Jury Box, and finally 4th being the Cartridge Box!"

35 posted on 08/20/2002 4:13:30 PM PDT by Colt .45
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To: Twodees
. To follow their logic, it would be a matter of 1st amendment protected free speech for this corporation to order its employees to cease union activities on company property. I'll hold my breath waiting for them to say the same thing the next time they accuse a corporation of union busting. Y'all pick me up when I turn blue and fall out, ok?

If you follow Spartanburg Herald-Journals usual editorials ,you may find they don't love unions either.They've endorsed legislation to actually hurt union organizing.This newspaper doesn't love workers of the right or left.
Only thing this bunch cares about is golf and BMW's.Everyone else can get the heck out of the way.

36 posted on 08/20/2002 6:19:52 PM PDT by Captain Shady
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To: shuckmaster
It's a beautiful piece..but dollars to donuts it will never see the light of day...they don't have the guts.
37 posted on 08/20/2002 6:28:24 PM PDT by goodieD
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To: Colt .45
That, sir, is going to applied to the back of my truck WITH the Battle Flag at eye-level to all the college-bound Volvos and Toyotas of the leftwingers that are converging back in this area for the start of school. They can read it at stop signs or while passing me and wonder what caliber gun is under my seat as they drive by. "Liberty is founded on 4 boxes. The Soap Box, Ballot Box, Jury Box, & the Cartridge Box!"

Grand Quote! Just Capital! TwoBitticus

38 posted on 09/01/2002 3:18:25 AM PDT by TwoBit
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