Michael Atherton wrote:
WM: I disagree. The answer is neither clear nor unequivocal. Reporters work for editors and publishers, they are already constrained from the first day of their employment. Those who want to continue to work and get paid rein in their language.The question is whether individuals or newspaper reporters should be penalized for using offensive language.
The answer is clear and unequivocal: American citizens and
residents have a First Amendment right to be offensive.
Individuals do have the right to be entirely offensive in their speech, though they also assume the burden of whatever consequences are meted out for having been offensive. Brauer can toss you off this list for limited or unlimited amounts of time if you are repeatedly offensive. Your friends and neighbors can shun you--and Minnesotans are extremely good at shunning. If you are offensive and it is reported in the media, those who remember it can later decide not to hire you or to demote you at work or refuse to vote for you. Or, if you are a rapper and have CDs, people can refuse to buy your CDs. People can denounce you in the media.
The question then becomes why would someone want to set the consequences in motion just for the right to say "colored people." Sort of like asking why you would lead your horse to step in a gopher hole since you know that you'll get tossed when the horse goes down.
It's your right to say anything that comes into your head. Why, then do you feel straight-jacketed when the issue is a constraint against being egregiously impolite. I suppose we could all defend anyone's right to be a jack ass, but I doubt I'll expend a lot of effort on it.
WizardMarks, Central ________________________________
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