The answer to bad speech is more good speech. Otherwise, how will we know what crazy is?

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I love how liberals are big freedom of speech fans... just not of speech they don't agree with.

Fools.

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This petition, while well motivated, I suspect is the wrong reaction.

While it will send a message of sorts to media, these three would soon be replaced by other. (Give Newt his own show?)

I would suggest that an over all push to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine" might have the desired effect of making news "Fair and Balanced".

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Artkansas is right about lobbying for the reinstitution of the fairness doctrine, but that is a long term solution. In the short term, we on the left should engage in witholding the only form of free speech the right seems to recognize: money. Boycott the sponsors of the shows on which these pundits appear and let them know you will not buy their products as long as they are underwriting hate speech and fascist demagoguery.

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(and I do). I'd like nothing more than to get into a boxing ring with her and bash some sense into her vapid, anorexic blonde skull. However, as much as she and the other far-right wack-job hatemongers disgust me (and they do), unfortunately there's this "little" thing called The First Amendment, which I believe in wholeheartedly. As much as it behooves me (and it does), these fools have the right to spout off their malicious nonsense.

So as much as I'd love the add my name to said petition, unfortunately for me, it defeats the purpose of free speech. Call it what you will, but protecting the rights of right-wing lunatics also protects the rest of us.

However, I have the right to disagree with them in public as well as in print whenever possible, not purchase their books and simply just tune them out whenever they start polluting the airwaves.

The First Amendment is a double-edged sword: It gives us the freedom to wax eloquent (such as Martin Luther King, Jr.), but it also gives us the freedom to show our ignorance (such as Coulter and her ilk).

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You can't. If you do, then you must tolerate behavior by a minority that will lead to the destruction of the system itself. There has to be a limit somewhere. To allow those who openly declare their goal to be the destruction of the current system by any means necessary absolute freedom in pursuing that goal is foolishness. The thing is, the criterion cannot be simply disagreement with someone - it must include destructive behavior.

Did any of you read in a Pat Robertson piece for PNAC wherein he wrote that for the time being they would have to leave free speech laws intact so that they could be used to destroy the system, then they could pass the restrictive laws they wanted no matter what the majority wanted? That kind of tolerance is simply suicidal.

BTW, lost my temper awhile back and came up with this; (NOTE - this is an experiment of sorts, and I will show the results later); please pardon lack-of-sleep errors and have fun:

Recipe for an Ann Coulter

Take two parts Ted Bundy, one part Bill O’Reilly (remove all traces of verbal restraint, add Tourette’s Syndrome, major anger management problem, a bad case of penis envy, and compulsive lying); using a very small toy spoon (max 1/8" across, about 1/20 full) add civil rights opinions and compassion of G.W. Bush (after removing all traces of intellect – if locatable), a dash of Dr. Joseph Mengels, remove “Y” chromosome, add small breast implants, remove all sartorial taste (and most other good taste), starve for about forty days until anorexic-looking, voluble and ready.

Book right-wing tour.

Then shoot.

Please.

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