-Caveat Lector-
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Chilling new survey: Americans want
more government censorship of media
WASHINGTON, DC -- The First Amendment is in "intensive care,"
Libertarians said today, after a new survey found that 46% of Americans
think the press has "too much freedom" and a whopping 71% say the
government needs to hold the media in check.
"The First Amendment is in trouble," said Steve Dasbach, Libertarian
Party national director. "If this survey is accurate, then the First
Amendment is in intensive care and may be dying -- not of simple
indifference, but because of criminal negligence by the American
people."
This past week, the New York-based First Amendment Center revealed
that a
startling number of Americans are willing or eager to give the government
more control over speech and the press. Of the 1,102 adults randomly
surveyed by telephone across the nation:
* 46% said the press in America has "too much freedom to do what it
wants." By contrast, only 36% think there is "too much government
censorship."
* 71% think it is somewhat or very important for the government "to
hold the media in check."
* 39% agree "the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it
guarantees." That's up dramatically from just 22% who held that opinion
last year.
* 64% disagreed that "people should be allowed to say things in public
that
might be offensive to racial groups," with 36% saying there should be
laws
against such speech.
For a nation founded on the concept of "inalienable rights" and a
fierce devotion to free speech, this survey is disturbing, said
Dasbach.
"Americans don't seem to understand that free speech is not something
you
can share with the government," he said. "Either the people have free
speech -- and are willing to fervently defend it against all encroachments
-- or else politicians have the power to control what we hear, see, and
read. There is no middle ground."
Unfortunately, too many Americans appear willing to sacrifice their
freedoms to protect themselves against speech they find offensive, said
Dasbach.
"Some people appear willing to relinquish free speech because they are
offended by vulgar music, obscene photographs on the Internet, violent
movies, or lewd dialogue on television," he said. "But that's making a
deal
with the devil.
"If you give away your rights, politicians will eagerly take them. And once
they have that power, politicians won't stop at simply censoring what you
find offensive. Eventually, politicians will go after speech that you find
indispensable. But by then, it will be too late."
What's the solution? Americans need to renew their traditional
commitment to free speech, said Dasbach.
"Don't let the history books record that this was the generation that gave
away its First Amendment rights," he said. "Remember: There's only
one
thing more tragic than a government seizing the rights of its citizens --
and that's citizens willingly forfeiting their rights because they are too
apathetic, indifferent, or lazy to keep them.
"And there's only one thing more tragic than letting power-hungry
politicians murder the First Amendment -- and that's allowing it to die of
criminal neglect."
------- End of forwarded message -------
--
Best wishes
In any dispute between a citizen and the government, it is my instinct
to side with the citizen. I am against bureaucrats, policemen, wowsers,
snouters, smellers, uplifters, lawyers, bishops and all other sworn
enemies of the free man. I am against all efforts to make men virtuous
by law. I believe that the government, practically considered, is simply
a camorra of incompetent and mainly dishonest men, transiently licensed
to live by the labor of the rest of us. I am thus in favor of limiting
its powers as much as possible, even at the cost of considerable
inconvenience, and of giving every citizen, wise or foolish, right or
wrong, the right to criticize it freely, and to advocate changes in
its constitution and personnel...the very commonest of common men has
certain inalienable rights.
-H.L. Mencken, Autopsy, American Mercury, September 1927
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
