<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>These are very good points but I think it is important to realize that initial criticisms came from players, many of whom were personally offended by previous, public comments made by Rush about the league ("Crips vs. Bloods") and players in particular (Donovan McNab).</div><div><br></div><div>Free speech protects the content of your remarks, as long as it isn't slander or libel. It does not protect style. It protects the expression of ideas, not the way in which you express them. Someone who deliberately insults people for political gain is not being treated unfairly if it turns out that some of the very people he insults want nothing to do with him.</div><div><br></div><div>If you could tell me one IDEA that Limbaugh was punished for expressing, you might have a point. But I don't see it. <br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>On Oct 15, 2009, at 8:21 AM, "Art Deco" <<a href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<div><font size="2">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.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">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.
</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">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.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">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.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">W.</font></div>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><b>From:</b>
<a title="philosopher.joe@gmail.com" href="mailto:philosopher.joe@gmail.com">Joe
Campbell</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="vision2020@moscow.com" href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 15, 2009 7:03
AM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> [Vision2020] NYTimes: Limbaugh
Dropped From Bid to Buy Rams</div>
<div><br></div>From The New York Times:<br><br>Limbaugh Dropped From Bid to
Buy Rams<br><br>In the face of fierce opposition, Dave Checketts said his
group would <br>move on without the conservative radio talk-show
host.<br><br><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/sports/football/15limbaugh.html"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/sports/football/15limbaugh.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/sports/football/15limbaugh.html</a></a><br><br>Get
The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting <a href="http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes"><a href="http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes">http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes</a></a><br><br><br>Sent
from my
iPhone<br><br>=======================================================<br> List
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communities of the Palouse since 1994.
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<br> <a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com"><a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</a></a><br>=======================================================</blockquote>
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