My Take on the Duck Dynasty Fiasco

[godenver1]

I agree with O'Reilly then, no mere man could assign damnation

 

[Ringo84]

It always happens, without fail. You could practically set your watch by it.

Someone, somewhere, in a public setting, says something stupid. Or racist. Or sexist. Or all of the above. As they are reaping the consequences for their poorly-considered words, however, someone almost always comes out of the woodwork to whine: "free speech! They're entitled to their opinion!". This is the common thread running through the Chik-Fil-A CEO, Phil Robertson and Donald Sterling sagas.

It represents a major misunderstanding of what the First Amendment says. It entitles you to the freedom to say whatever you like - not the freedom from consequences when you do so. Words are powerful. They have consequences. The freedom to say whatever we like with no consequences is one of the rights we voluntarily surrender to live in an orderly, civilized society.

There is also the right of a business to control how they are perceived by the public. If the NBA, or A&E, or any other company don't want to be associated with some idiot with diarrhea of the mouth, they have the right to disassociate themselves - via firing, suspension, fines, or whatever other punishments they decide to mete out, within reason.
Ringo

 

[standingtall]

It represents a major misunderstanding of what the First Amendment says. It entitles you to the freedom to say whatever you like - not the freedom from consequences when you do so.

This one sentence sums it all up. 'Nuff said........