The Anti-American Dream

[blackdog]

Pat Condell is a British political commentator who regularly speaks out about injustices, religious practices and political matters. In this video he warns Americans about the insidious erosion of free speech in both the social media and the American educational system, much of which is in contravention of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

[MissBarbara]

Pat Condell is a British political commentator who regularly speaks out about injustices, religious practices and political matters. In this video he warns Americans about the insidious erosion of free speech in both the social media and the American educational system, much of which is in contravention of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Though I've never heard of Pat Condell, I watched most of this video, and found many of the things he says to be thought provoking.

However, he has what can be charitably described as an imperfect understanding of the U.S. Constitution in general and the First Amendment in particular.

It is an extremely basic point: A company that runs a social media site -- or even a small group of individuals who cobble together the money to run a social media site (I'm looking at you, Lois!) -- in no way contravene the First Amendment by defining appropriate content, limiting content, or removing content (and banning users). They are private enterprises, and as such, may establish their own rules, or even ban certain types of content for specific reasons, or completely random reasons. The First Amendment does not apply to social media outlets, nor should it ever.

Free speech, neither in general nor in particular, is not being eroded (insidiously or otherwise) by these rules.

Similarly, a public school, or any other type of school, that similarly places limits on speech also does not contravene the First Amendment, nor does it insidiously erode the U.S. concept free speech. Schools have myriad rules limiting, defining, or proscribing certain types of speech, and those rules all fall within a school's mandate.

The problem in the U.S. today is not the suppression of free speech. The problem in the U.S. today is the lack of intelligent speech. In that light, even if every social media site, and every school, were to be granted full First Amendment protection and be barred from proscribing any type of speech, as long as people insist on propagating ill-informed or unintelligent speech, our bigger and more important problems will never be solved.

[_priapism]

Amendment I

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.

[watcher1]

The problem in the U.S. today is not the suppression of free speech. The problem in the U.S. today is the lack of intelligent speech.

I wholeheartedly agree. WOO!

[Katiebee]

I have heard that one way we can have more intelligent citizens is to shoot a few of the worst examples. I do find this solution to be problematic at best, though it certainly may relieve some people irritation.

[MissBarbara]

I have heard that one way we can have more intelligent citizens is to shoot a few of the worst examples. I do find this solution to be problematic at best, though it certainly may relieve some people irritation.

Shoot them?

Wouldn't your claymore be more effective (and more fun)?

[RopeFiend]

Ooooo, claymores.... I *love* things that go BOOM!





"Most human problems can be solved by an appropriate charge of high explosives." ~Blaster


edit: I see Jed_ beat me to the explosives.

[psiberzerker]

To me, the most anti-American sentiment is turning away Immigrants, and making Amnesty impossible.  Immigration is what America was founded on, (Okay, Invasion, Genocide, Slavery, and farming for England...)