Freedom of Speech ever so slightly eroded

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Linflas

The high court, however, refused to decide whether the commission's policy violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech, only the agency's enforcement power. The justices ordered the free-speech aspect to be reviewed again by a federal appeals court.

Not as bad as it sounds.

Hooray for everyone's inability to read the article.

 

[bobdole369]

This is no erosion of first amendment rights, you have not ever been able to say words like this on network TV and only recently have the rules been relaxed to allow it after hours

It's not that I'm worried about it being on TV. Everybody knows the 7 words you can't say on TV. Shit, Piss, Fuck, wise and beautiful woman, beautiful being, Motherfucker, and tits.

It's that there exists now a "published opinion" from the Supreme Court saying "Fuck" by itself has sexual overtones. This has ALWAYS been a question mark.

The definition of obscenity in most jurisdictions, and certainly in my own (Florida) says that for something to be obscene, it must follow the below definition (copied and pasted from the statutes)

(10) "Obscene" means the status of material which:

(a) The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest;

(b) Depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct as specifically defined herein; and

(c) Taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

You rubes out there: prurient means "Arousing or appealing to sexual desire."

Saying the word "fuck" by itself could ordinarily not pass the first 2 parts of the test. Maybe now we teeter closer.

I say all that about obscenity because obscenity is not protected speech. By defining "fuck" as a word with sexual roots, he pushes us closer to a world where the word "fuck" by itself is obscene.

If you commit obscenity it generally means jail time. Ask 2 Live Crew.

Stubbing my toe in a restaurant and shouting "FUCK!" ordinarily doesn't get you arrested. Maybe now it will.




BTW I never said anything about the court deciding the free speech aspect of that case as described in the article. I only mentioned Scalia's published opinion which defines what "fuck" by itself means to the Supreme Court.

 

[Regs]

It's one of those instances of constitutional law that will be open to interpretation for each individual case until this country's demise.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: frostedflakes

Originally posted by: Ronstang
I'm assuming you idiots up in arms about not being able to say FUCK on TV in prime time don't have kids or you simply go around the house saying it in front of them. Grow the hell up. This is no erosion of first amendment rights, you have not ever been able to say words like this on network TV and only recently have the rules been relaxed to allow it after hours. This is a non issue. If you want bad language in your movies/shows watch cable or rent a DVD. Do you realize how quickly TV would degrade to pure crap if these words were allowed with no regulation. TV is already mostly junk.

It's just a word, I guess I don't see what the big deal is. Whether on TV or elsewhere your kids have probably already heard it and used it. Seems like the best thing to do would be to explain curse words to them and when it's not appropriate to use them.

Can I then say the "N" word any time I want? It is just a word, right? We can explain to all the Black people and everything will be fine right? I bet your answer just changed.

As to the bolded part of your statement....prime time TV is one of those times that it is not appropriate.

Yes you can. That's what true commitment to free speech is all about: fighting as passionately to protect speech that you don't agree with it as you would to protect speech that you do. It's embarrassing that someone using the American flag as an avatar fails to understand such a basic principle.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Originally posted by: Ronstang
I'm assuming you idiots up in arms about not being able to say FUCK on TV in prime time don't have kids or you simply go around the house saying it in front of them. Grow the hell up. This is no erosion of first amendment rights, you have not ever been able to say words like this on network TV and only recently have the rules been relaxed to allow it after hours. This is a non issue. If you want bad language in your movies/shows watch cable or rent a DVD. Do you realize how quickly TV would degrade to pure crap if these words were allowed with no regulation. TV is already mostly junk.

This case really wasn't even about 1st Amendment Rights, per se. The SC sent that question back to Appellate Court. It was about the FCC's authority to fine networks that let a banned word or maybe a nipple to slip through, accidentally or otherwise.

Personally I think the only restriction to language, extreme violence, or skin should be a warning prior to the show. Tag the show with a rating and let parents lock those shows out if they don't like the content, something that practically anyone can do these days. It's not up to the government to decide what our children should and should not hear/see, being a babysitter by proxy in the process. Instead, parents should be the controlling factor.

 

[dud]

And you kiss your mother with that mouth?


Here it comes ...

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Fucking thing sucks!

Fuck it. We'll do it live.

 

[AstroManLuca]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZY0tCNy120

I think Joe Pesci is one of the best users of profanity ever.

 

[gar3555]

Fuck the fucking fuckers.

 

[Cuda1447]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes

Originally posted by: Ronstang
I'm assuming you idiots up in arms about not being able to say FUCK on TV in prime time don't have kids or you simply go around the house saying it in front of them. Grow the hell up. This is no erosion of first amendment rights, you have not ever been able to say words like this on network TV and only recently have the rules been relaxed to allow it after hours. This is a non issue. If you want bad language in your movies/shows watch cable or rent a DVD. Do you realize how quickly TV would degrade to pure crap if these words were allowed with no regulation. TV is already mostly junk.

It's just a word, I guess I don't see what the big deal is. Whether on TV or elsewhere your kids have probably already heard it and used it. Seems like the best thing to do would be to explain curse words to them and when it's not appropriate to use them.

If Ronstang explains when they are appropriate, but his child see's them on tv when they clearly aren't appropriate, doesn't that undermind ronstangs parenting?


By your logic, should we allow tv to show brutal rapes/murders in violent/graphic manners on prime time tv? Hell, just tell your 7 year old "Oh, that's not appropriate though".

Come on man, not being able to say fuck in prime time isn't that really big of a deal. I thought that was teh case anyway. And to be honest, it shouldn't be on a bumper sticker either. I suppose its a fine line, we don't want to lose our rights, but at the same time adults in this world should be responsible and show a little class. It's one of those things where you may tell a dirty joke around your friends/adult family, but if there are children in the room, you bite your tongue.


The other day I was in a public place and someone was wearing a shirt that said something about "some fucking bitch" or something like that. I hardly think thats appropriate to be wearing in a mall where there are a lot of children. But some people are classless fucktards and don't get that they shouldn't be exposing young children to that.


You support the freedom of saying fuck any and everywhere, but next thing you know we will have a story on here from the NYTimes about young school-aged children cursing in school more often. "Little johnny was assigned a report for school, his response 'fuck this, i hate homework." Ahh yes, there will be outrage then, but who gives a shit if we set a good example for children.

 

[40Hands]

You all need to watch your language. There could be children browsing this forum! Think of them.