Oh yeah, speech. Freedom of speech. To be specific (emphasis mine):
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
I know the above sentence by heart. I had to: Dr. Horvit, one of my journalism professors, required it for us to pass her class. For a journalist, the First Amendment is tantamount to scripture. Without it, the profession—and, in my opinion, democracy—dies.
This week, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh stepped in it. During a rant about birth control, he referred to Georgetown student Sandra Fluke as a “slut” and demanded that she share her sex tapes with the taxpayers who, he said, are paying for her contraception. Such statements are par for the course for Limbaugh, but this one has earned more press than others. Advertisers are leaving his show, and he’s found himself the target of one Angelo Carusone, whose efforts helped remove Glenn Beck from the air.
From time to time, Carusone retweets the negative comments he receives from his dissenters. Much of the time, they’re ad hominem attacks, but he also receives comments from those who say his actions show he has no respect for the First Amendment. In short, these people argue that Limbaugh (and, in the past, Beck) should not only have the right to free speech but also the right to freedom from accountability.
This sentiment is hardly limited to Limbaugh supporters. In 2010, Sarah Palin expressed frustration over the dismissal of Dr. Laura Schlessinger‘s because of Schlessinger’s use of the word “nigger” during a broadcast. Palin tweeted:
Dr.Laura:don’t retreat…reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend.rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)
Aside from her bastardization of the English language, Palin doesn’t seem to grasp the intent of the First Amendment. We’re free to say what we want. In my opinion, that freedom should be fully unrestricted except in cases when one person’s speech might limit that of another (libel, for example). We have no guaranteed freedom for consequences, though. In this case, Schlessinger exercised her First Amendment rights by using a racial epithet on the air. The consequence: Her employer and her advertisers exercised their rights by leaving her in the dust.
The same goes for Limbaugh. He absolutely should not be censored by the government. He absolutely should be held accountable by the public for his words. If this means he loses advertisers, listeners and his job, so be it. Maybe then he and his supporters will realize the freedom to say something doesn’t mean that that something should indeed be said.
Addendum
As my friend Mike points out, offensive statements aren’t limited to the conservative realm. Bill Maher, for example, has used disgusting language for Sarah Palin in his stand-up routines. The above argument stands, though. Maher should have freedom of speech, but should he lose supporters or his show because of his speech, it would not be a violation of his rights. His liberal views should no more make him exempt from accountability than the conservative views of Limbaugh and Schlessinger.