[NEohioPAL]Is it free speech or hate speech on the DJs that phrank called a restaurant

Wed Apr 25 10:46:00 PDT 2007

judging from this discussion, so soon after the smoking-on-stage discussion=
, i can only say i'm glad some of you aren't in charge of protecting MY =
freedom of speech.

a few points from a free-speech near-absolutist.

there is no right to not be insulted. which is good. humor would disappear.=
 i dunno if these dj's were funny, but we have to have the freedom to try =
to be funny. if we fail, and it's our job to be funny, we won't have our =
jobs very long. leave it at that.

even if there WERE a right not to be insulted (and many people apparently =
think there is), it would be trumped by the freedom to insult. just =
imagine if lenny bruce were alive today. what would he say? you know damn =
well what he would say: comedians, even bad ones, must be free to insult, =
or there will be no comedy.

the definition of "hate speech" is NOT insulting speech. to be hate =
speech, there must be a real and palpable threat of violence. "i hate you =
because you're [fill in the blank]" is NOT hate speech, despite the fact =
that it contains the h-word. it may be stupid speech, but not hate speech. =
"i am going to come over to your house tonight, burn a cross in your front =
yard, rape your wife and daughters and then kill you in your sleep because =
you're [fill in the blank]" - that's hate speech. (although in the hands =
of a really, really good comedian - bruce, or sarah silverman, or richard =
pryor - even those words might be made funny in the context of a joke).

by the same token, the fellow who wants to get these dj's off the air also =
has freedom to try to get these dj's off the air, to insult them and to =
say they're morons, which apparently they are. but from what i've seen =
discussed here, they were performing a classless radio show, not purveying =
hate speech.

by the way, vis a vis the smoking-on-stage thing, some upper echelon =
administrator at yale university, citing the virginia tech massacre, has =
banned the use of real-looking stage weaponry from yale theaters. one =
group got the word five days before opening and had to switch to heavy, =
wooden, obviously fake swords with which they had not rehearsed. one =
person involved said the possibility of injury had been greatly increased =
by the switch. just another bit of evidence of the level of imbecility =
fostered by today's politically correct standards, many if not all of =
which fly directly in the face of the rights and freedoms upon which this =
great republic were founded.

stay free. stay loud.

tony

=20

>>> "Tony Glassman" <tglassman at chronohio.com> 4/25/2007 12:52 PM >>>
Johnny Wu might not have been writing letters if they had made jokes about
Italians, but Italians would have, just like that town in New jersey
originally didn't want to grant a filming permit to the Sopranos.=20

-----Original Message-----
From: neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com=20
[mailto:neohiopal-admin at lists.fredsternfeld.com] On Behalf Of roger priebe
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 12:36 PM
To: johnny at mdifilm.com; neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com=20
Subject: RE: [NEohioPAL]Is it free speech or hate speech on the DJs that
phrank called a restaurant

let's just break this down....

would you be writing letters if they had been joking on Italians???
of corse not....we would not be having this disscussion....your only =
pissed
that they made fun of asians and thats a fact!

and keep in mind i still got nothing but love for ya

>From: "Johnny K. Wu" <johnny at mdifilm.com>
>To: <neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com>
>Subject: [NEohioPAL]Is it free speech or hate speech on the DJs that=20
>phrank called a restaurant
>Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:26:22 -0400
>
>
>As an artist, I would never censor anyone but I do stand in a very=20
>neutral position, I was even an actor playing a stereotypical Chinese=20
>chef in a comedy piece.
>
>I would suggest, if you want to provide your point of view, study the=20
>matter first, because I've realized many times, we tend to jump ahead=20
>and make statements because of how we feel, which is great, and this =
is=20
>freedom of speech and expression...
>
>However, if you have listened to the segment that we are fighting=20
>against for, you would understand, not only it was hurtful to Asian=20
>Americans, it was very sexist... Here are some facts I know about...
>
>1. This is not about free speech, but about hate speech.
>
>Also The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishes freedom=20
>of speech in the USA. There are several major limitations on this =
freedom:
>
>- Only the government is prohibited from restricting speech. Private=20
>corporations are free to censor speech of their employees.
>
>- Freedom of speech is not absolute, even when government regulation =
or=20
>law is concerned. For example, freedom of speech does not give one the=20
>right to commit perjury. See the beginning of my essay on infotorts =
for=20
>more examples.
>
>That said, if an employee uses their company time to hurt other=20
>peoples, especially bystanders that didn't know their conversation was=20
>aired to radio listener without them agreed upon, phrank call or not,=20
>and if the company gets complains, the employeed would be liable. This=20
>is about protecting the company's best interest. And this is not about=20
>free speech but a liability issue.
>
>
>2. The two DJs are not comedians, but what among the radio talk shows=20
>considered "shock jocks" meaning, they would go to the extreme to=20
>attract listeners and to be edgy.  This particular incident was one=20
>that really tips off a lot more anger people than previous, in March=20
>31, they attacked an invited unsigned band, calling one of the members=20
>a "FAGGOT", and continued to insult them. The radio station didn't=20
>suspend them nor they were advised not to do it anymore, in fact, the=20
>radio station stood behind them and protected them. But not this=20
>time... Which means, the segment must contain very hateful messages=20
>that was sent across and this time, it was way overboard that not even=20
>their employer wants to side with them. Or perhaps because the station=20
>had gotten so many complains in the past that they decided that this=20
>one is really went too far... So they were suspended until further=20
>notice.
>
>
>3. This is not about censorship as the DJs claim, if you go to their=20
>website blog, they can still do whatever they want, but guess what,=20
>they were also censoring people, they only allow certain comments to =
be=20
>posted, If this is about free speech issue or censorship, they=20
>should've allow ANY post to be commented. However, why would they=20
>censor it out?
>
>
>4. Those that are in the media must exercise more responsibility when=20
>talks to the crowd, because they can easily influence the people they=20
>spread their words to. How many times, do you read any news publication=20=

>and you would think the news is right and you already pre-judge the=20
>person? Or rather how many times you know for a fact that the published=20=

>piece is incorrect and it can hurt you?
>
>So, let's turn the table around. What if you were the recipient of =
this=20
>phrank call:
>
>Let say, you are at work, busy, and suddenly there's a phone call, the=20
>caller started to call you "son of a bitch" or "you sexy xxxx ass" or=20
>"I want to tap you" etc. Would you feel offended? Now what if this=20
>actual recording was aired to thousands of people for them to laugh at=20
>your expense?
>
>Fast forward, to you on the street, walking, and talking to your=20
>friends, and you mentioned that you received a phrank call, and=20
>suddenly one of your friends made that same joke on you as well, how=20
>would you feel? Would you say "that's not nice" or you would laugh it =
off?
>
>Let's fast forward a bit more, now, you are at a party, you met a few=20
>people that your other friends introduces you to, and they started to=20
>make the same joke as your friend and the radio hosts did to you and=20
>suddenly your kids are doing the same... how would you feel?
>
>My point is media plays a lot in stereotyping for making it 'OK' for=20
>people to act in a certain way when there isn't any complains, and=20
>believe me, that has happened to me, I am sure many of women would =
also=20
>experience such of demeaning comments, would also gay or lesbians.
>
>And I'm not talking about you should stop joking, we all make jokes,=20
>but be responsible when you are airing to the masses,  because you=20
>would never know who out there think it's so funny that it is ok to do=20
>it to their peers as well.
>
>Make jokes away, make it fun but be responsible on not to use hurtful=20
>jokes.
>
>Freedom of speech comes with responsibility
>
>
>
>
>_____________________________________
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