Tuesday, February 26, 2008
I kid you not
I literally just had this exchange with a female caller about my story on the porn ordinances I wrote about earlier today:"Hi, I'm calling about the article on porn that was in today's paper," the woman says.
I take a deep breath and prepare to hear that I'm a bad person for even writing about it.
"Yes?"
"We say we're a country under God, but what mother or father would want their kids doing porn," she says. "For us to say we're a country under God is a lie because God does not want people doing porn."
She goes on like this for a few moments. I give her some time, thinking maybe this was a tangent and that the real point was coming. I should have cut her off earlier.
"Ma'am, did you read the article"
"Yes. I read it," she says. "But to say we're a country under.."
"Then you know the gist of the article was that yes, they've allowed these places to exist because they can't legally block them, but they've made it so undesirable and so implausible that no porn shops will likely ever come to town," I counter.
"I get that," she says. "That's good. But we shouldn't be allowing it anywhere."
I'm thinking this woman should be calling the president or the moral majority, not some reporter at a local newspaper. "Um hm," I say. "Well, you can write a letter to the editor to that effect and we can publish it."
"Maybe I'll do that," she says. "My point was that a country under God would not even allow porn in their constitution"
"Okay."
"Alright," she says. "That's all."
*Click*
Labels: Free Speech, fun, musings, readers
continue...Thursday, May 03, 2007
Remembering Our Fallen
"Of all the clauses in the Constitution, the one that I admire the most, and venerate the most, are 45 words which compose the First Amendment."--Jack Valenti, former chairman
Motion Picture Association of America, 2006
Did you know today is World Press Freedom Day? It's the day set aside to remember journalists who were killed or jailed for exercising their right to free speech, and to shed light on free press violations around the world. According to the World Association of Newspapers, 110 journalists were killed in 2006.
E&P wrote a story about this day of remembrance, challenging journalists and citizens to never forget those who have fallen. The power of the press is the one thing we can exercise to stop the senseless killing of journalists who are targeted by governments, extremist groups and others. Mark Fitzgerald of E&P writes:
What, really, can we do? The answer is, say their names. Tell the stories of their murders. Demand the capture of their killers, and especially of the evil men who ordered their killing. Protest impunity. Report. And raise hell like journalists always should. But most important, say the names of the dead, the imprisoned, the threatened, the censored. Print the names. Broadcast them. Post them. Say them. Because that's what they most fear, the enemies of the press: the death squads of the right and left, the dictators, the corrupt cops and bureaucrats, the drug cartels, the poachers, and the smugglers. They fear truth. A light shone. Their sins told. THEIR names named.
What are you doing to exercise your Freedom of Speech? And for those who don't know the First Amendment (shame on you!), here's a cheat sheet.
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.
Learn it. Live it. Love it.
Labels: Free Speech, inspiration, musings, the industry
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