[Vision2020] NYTimes: Limbaugh Dropped From Bid to Buy Rams

[Art Deco]

While I don't believe hardly anything that Limbaugh says, and certainly don't agree with his values, I am afraid that this development represents a true loss of and a threat to freedom of speech/expression.

The way to fight crackpots is to try to show where they are in error, and to boycott their services and products, not, in effect, to ban them from offering ideas, services, and/or products.  

The NFL, NBA, NHL NCAA, etc are full of examples where freedom of expression is suppressed or penalized -- celebration penalties, disallowal of public comment by players, coaches, of putrid officiating, for example.  I think these are really chickenshit rules, and that they certain represent a trend of denying those affected by acts from commenting upon them.  Very unhealthy in the long run.

The loss of freedom of expression that is very maddening and counterproductive is the sealing of court cases, especially cases where one of the parties is a public entity -- all criminal and all civil cases where a public entity is a party.  As a taxpayer, I want to know what goes on in the court and how a particular settlement/outcome is going to affect me and society as a whole, and how much a particular settlement is going to cost.  If you haven't observed courts much, you'd be surprised at the amount of perjury that occurs, even by law enforcement officers, the laxity and ineptitude of some prosecutors, the laziness and lack of conscientiousness of some judges, and the outrageousness of some plea bargains in criminal cases and settlements in civil cases.


W.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joe Campbell 
  To: vision2020 
  Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 7:03 AM
  Subject: [Vision2020] NYTimes: Limbaugh Dropped From Bid to Buy Rams


  From The New York Times:

  Limbaugh Dropped From Bid to Buy Rams

  In the face of fierce opposition, Dave Checketts said his group would  
  move on without the conservative radio talk-show host.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/sports/football/15limbaugh.html

  Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes


  Sent from my iPhone

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