Democrats Wimp Out on First Amendment. Surprise!
by John Nichols, AlterNet.org
Judging
from the lackluster showing against the Broadcast Decency Enforcement
Act, it seems that most Democrats – who are supposed to take civil
liberties more seriously than the Republicans – believe that censorship
is what America is all about.
What is the issue on which congressional Democrats are least likely to take a bold – and appropriate – stand?
…Freedom
of speech? Yes. When the House voted in mid-February on the so-called
Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, only 36 Democrats took the side of
the First Amendment. They were joined by one independent, Vermont
Socialist Bernie Sanders, and one Republican, Texas renegade Ron Paul.
The vast
majority of House Democratic Caucus members – they're the ones who are
supposed to “get” the First Amendment at least a little bit better than
their Republican colleagues – sided with House Majority Leader Tom
DeLay, R-Texas, and his merry band of crusaders for censorship.
Don't
let the bipartisan support for this measure cause you to think that
this was an inconsequential measure. The draconian assault on the
rights of artists and communicators to express controversial views was
broadly opposed by unions representing the creative community. Under
the provisions of the measure, an individual talk-show host, filmmaker,
musician or on-air commentator could be fined as much as $500,000 for
producing an image or expressing a point of view that is considered
“indecent” by censors at the conservative-controlled Federal
Communications Commission.
(Click here to read the complete article.)
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