I disagree with what you say, Sir, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.--mis-attributed to Voltaire, actually penned by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, in her biography of Voltaire.
How to reconcile free speech with the consequences of speech appears to confuse many. We are at a stand over the homophobic pronouncements of a made for-and-by TV hero, Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander. It seems he does not think homosexuals are OK, and said so in an interview. His avowed homophobia caused the AandE network, which made him a celebrity in the first place, to suspend him from filming future episodes of their "reality series" (sic). And so the outcry begins, as fans accuse the network of censoring him, of suppressing his free speech rights under the Constitution, and particularly of discriminating against HIM because he holds religious views and expresses them publicly.
First, let's look at how we have rights to free speech at all. This right of all Americans is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution, within the Bill of Rights. The text is worth examining in this discussion. "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." Note that the text prohibits Congress from making laws which abridge freedom of speech, or the press. It has nothing to say about private citizens, corporations or anyone else. It regulates Congress. It was not even applied generally to the States until much later, though by Supreme Court interpretation and application of the Fourteenth Amendment, it now prohibits the States just as it does the Congress.
Now let's look at our media-driven tempest in a teacup. A private citizen, placed into the public eye by television appearances on a network show, expresses his religious views in an interview. These views happen to be offensive to many, but apparently not all citizens of this great republic. The network decides his continued participation in their TV show would suggest that they support his views, and so they suspend him. Has any Constitutional right been violated? Of course not. Congress has not prohibited narrow-minded bigots from making disparaging comments about anyone. Neither has Congress exempted such persons from suffering the consequences of their speech. Private citizen Phil has let us know that he believes the words of the Old Testament, that homosexuals are an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Perhaps he believes also that they should be put to death (Leviticus 20:13) He did not go so far in his statement, though he referenced the Bible as his source of inspiration. However private citizen Phil has discovered the downside of celebrity. He is not a private citizen anymore, opining at his dinner table that gays should be stoned to death. He is now a public figure, speaking in an interview. If his views offend, and they do, he must live with the consequence. Certainly, he may say whatever he wishes, but he is not immune to the hoo-hah afterwards, nor should he be. He has benefited greatly from celebrity. That is a privilege not a right. And his current difficulties with his employer are his problem, the result of failing to understand the difference between Private Citizen Phil and Public Figure Phil. If I went on TV as my professional self and publicly expressed a disgust for Fat People, or Americans of African extraction, or Gays, or even Rednecks, I could expect to lose my job. I can say whatever I want, and Congress and the State of Washington can't do a thing about it. But if I go public with my private opinions, my employers surely could do, and would do a thing about it. And I would have no reason to complain. Can't fix stupid. Can't even make it look pretty. So sorry, Phil. you still have your constitutional right to free speech, and it has never been abridged. You just don't have a right to make tons of cash living in the public eye, without being aware of the consequences of exercising your rights. You may continue to make duck calls, disappear from the public radar, and return to life as a private citizen, but you don't have a right to control AandE, which made you famous in the first place. You had a nice ride, but now it is, and should be, over. Back to the Holler with you, begone. And good riddance.
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