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Dr. Laura Claims She Lost Her First Amendment Rights, Is she correct?

Do you agree with Dr. Laura that she lost her First Amendment rights?


  • Total voters
    46
she wasn't stopped from saying anything, she just can't accept the consequences, stupid woman.
 
Wait, the crazy little bitty sex lady with the funny accent that likes telling women to use dildos which should be cool if not for the fact she's old enough to be your grandmother and is creepy went on a michael richards like n-word rant?


-edit- Okay, nm, I see its some other Dr. Woman. Who the hell am I thinking of?
 
Wait, the crazy little bitty sex lady with the funny accent that likes telling women to use dildos which should be cool if not for the fact she's old enough to be your grandmother and is creepy went on a michael richards like n-word rant?


-edit- Okay, nm, I see its some other Dr. Woman. Who the hell am I thinking of?

Dr. Ruth. Lulz.
 
Once again Barb, it wasn't just the use of the word but well, basically how much of a cold-hearted bitch she was that got her off the air and a fundmental misunderstanding of the use of the word. The lady said it over and over again full well knowing that she was going to annoy or offend some people, and she says she wants to have a conversation about it. Ok. Would you want to have a conversation with someone that says a prejudice term like "fag fag fag fag" or "wetback wetback wetback" over and over again, would you even take them seriously after that?

Also dangerous road? When has anyone ever been against speaking their mind? Ask the neo-cons that are so for freedom of speech what they think of the patriot act and the like. Besides that really what she says I have less problem with as much as the lady continues to come off as the victim and it is so damn obvious that she is going to use that angle to benefit someway or another. I don't know how to listen to her show or where her websites are but I could bet she is doing it right now, and will continue to do it here and there as long as she can.
 
I must admit the vast left wing conspiracy to shut out people we don't like is amusing. Yup, we made Dr. Laura lose it on the air. It's all our fault.
 
Meh, I see this like Don Imus or any other such situation.

They work for a private company. That company knows what they're getting into when they hire them, but they also know that they've been employed by a business. If they have a binding contract and it doesn't cover something like this, they shouldn't be fired. If they don't have a binding contract and the company feels they should be fired, especially if they're losing advertisers, well too bad so sad.

You have freedom of speech, not freedom of reprucusions. Everyone that complained to advertisers that caused them to pull their ads ALSO have freedom of speech.
 
This is pretty much exactly what happened to Bill Maher.

People say something accurate, a bunch of people go ape****, sponsors freak out, person loses their job.

Dr. Furburger will find some other job in radio/tv eventually.
 
I must admit the vast left wing conspiracy to shut out people we don't like is amusing. Yup, we made Dr. Laura lose it on the air. It's all our fault.

OMG. You're the black woman who called, aren't you? AREN'T YOU???!!!!!
 
Also, here's a basic primer on 1st Amendment rights for those of you on this thread who don't seem to understand them.

Good News, Dr. Laura: Your First Amendment Rights Are Still Yours : Monkey See : NPR

the First Amendment doesn't guarantee that speaking your mind will have no economic consequences. Proclaiming that those without thick skins probably shouldn't marry outside their race is always going to be, let us say, commercially risky if you're aiming for a broad audience — or if your sponsors are. General Motors and Motel 6 both reportedly pulled their sponsorship over the flap, prior to Schlessinger's decision to leave her show. But whether that's the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do, it doesn't implicate the government; it implicates the profit motive.

In fact, the organization of a boycott is itself the exercise of First Amendment rights — GLAAD, or the American Family Association, or Sarah Palin, or Laura Schlessinger, anyone can publicly advocate for an end to the economic support of someone else's speech. If you want, you can boycott them back — "Okay, if GLAAD is boycotting Laura Schlessinger, then I'm boycotting anybody who donates to GLAAD." It becomes reductive and unhelpful at some point, and it may or may not be justified, and one side or the other may be substantively right or wrong — but all of it, from every angle and every political position, is consistent with the idea of free expression.

Because the "free" in that concept means "free from government interference," not "free from consequences."
 
I'm no fan. I haven't listened to her more than a few times and that was a long time ago. I found her to be a real bitch.
What bothers me, is the way this all went down. Did ya'll read the transcript or listen? She never called anyone N.
She was talking about how others used N. I really don't know why she was even upset after the call. I guess she thought she was wrong and that's why she apologized.
She is a Conservative with a bunch of values the left hates. That's why she was taken down. Again, I ask, who will media matters and their ilk go after next? We are headed down a dangerous road.
I know the liberals here hate Beck, Hannity, Rush, O'Reilly etc. but do you really want to live in a country where they can't speak out against our government?

that really is a bunch of crap. "dr" laura chose to say what she did, which was offensive. she wasn't speaking out against the go'vt, she was busy offending an individual. good riddance, she's a freaking hypocrite anyway. don't make this more than it is.
 
Just for ****s and giggles, let's see what the First Amendment actually says:
First Amendment of the US Constitution said:
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.
I really don't understand why anyone would claim she lost her right to free speech. The government did not act in any way to prevent her from carrying on her show.

:shrug:
 
This is pretty much exactly what happened to Bill Maher.

People say something accurate, a bunch of people go ape****, sponsors freak out, person loses their job.

Dr. Furburger will find some other job in radio/tv eventually.

What did Bill Maher say and how is what she said accurate at all? She says that all black people voted for Obama just because she is black, but on other shows apparently she tries to defend the idea of blacks voting for Republicans and being in the tea party. Can't have it both ways lady so which is it?
 
Once again Barb, it wasn't just the use of the word but well, basically how much of a cold-hearted bitch she was that got her off the air and a fundmental misunderstanding of the use of the word. The lady said it over and over again full well knowing that she was going to annoy or offend some people, and she says she wants to have a conversation about it. Ok. Would you want to have a conversation with someone that says a prejudice term like "fag fag fag fag" or "wetback wetback wetback" over and over again, would you even take them seriously after that?

Do Mexicans use the word 'wetback' in talking amongst themselves? Do gays similarly use the word 'fag?" If we can't have a philosophical discourse about the use of sensitive words, then we truly have lost it as a tolerant, free society.
 
Do Mexicans use the word 'wetback' in talking amongst themselves? Do gays similarly use the word 'fag?" If we can't have a philosophical discourse about the use of sensitive words, then we truly have lost it as a tolerant, free society.

They sure do. My point is, no one is going to validate themselves or try to argue an intelligent arguement to anyone after just repeating something like that over and over again.
 
What did Bill Maher say and how is what she said accurate at all? She says that all black people voted for Obama just because she is black, but on other shows apparently she tries to defend the idea of blacks voting for Republicans and being in the tea party. Can't have it both ways lady so which is it?

Bill maher said the guys who flew the planes into the WTC were brave.

I thought she said that black people say the n-word alot.
 
Do Mexicans use the word 'wetback' in talking amongst themselves? Do gays similarly use the word 'fag?" If we can't have a philosophical discourse about the use of sensitive words, then we truly have lost it as a tolerant, free society.

Dr. "wonder bread" Laura's domain is hardly philosophy or intellectual discourse.
 
Bill maher said the guys who flew the planes into the WTC were brave.

I thought she said that black people say the n-word alot.

Well Bill Maher is a dick anyways that don't think his **** stinks so shame on anybody for giving him 2 minutes of time.

Also sure that's fine. Generalizations can work both ways, and I don't much care for generalizations of white people either.
 
They sure do. My point is, no one is going to validate themselves or try to argue an intelligent arguement to anyone after just repeating something like that over and over again.

I have never heard them do so, not the way I have heard it from Blacks. I still see nothing wrong with having a discussion. Dr. Laura was NOT calling the caller by the N word...
 
Well Bill Maher is a dick anyways that don't think his **** stinks so shame on anybody for giving him 2 minutes of time.

:confused: What does your opinion of Maher have to do with anything?

Also sure that's fine. Generalizations can work both ways, and I don't much care for generalizations of white people either.

She was actually pretty specific about it being on HBO and such.
 
Last night (8/17) Dr. Laura said to Larry King she "wants to regain her First Amendment Rights" when she announced she was leaving her radio program when her constract expires. Tonight she partially blamed Media Matters for her decision.

Do you agree with Dr. Laura that she lost her First Amendment rights?

Yes
No
I don't know

Here is a video showing what she said on Larry King Live:




I say no. I think she is just looking for an excuse to quit or rile her fans up or to get some tv appearances. Most talk show host say stuff that is controversial or at least say stuff that is controversial to liberals all the time. Liberals probably threaten to boycott every conservative talk show host sponsors regardless what the conservative or percieved conservative talk show host talks about. Heck some liberal groups boycott a company because they do not like the owner of the company's father.For example Michael Savage's son owns Rock star energy drinks. So liberals have boycotted Rock star energy drink and even made a fake conspiracy that he is trying to hide the relation(even though Michael Savage has bragged about the fact his son owns Rock star energy drink on his show,a book or two that he wrote and even had pictures) or that Michael Savage himself owns rock star energy drinks. The fact is a lot of extremist libs hate conservative talk show hosts and free speech and will do what ever they can to shut down down a talk show host. One of the tactics other than smearing lies of racism or some other BS is to boycott show sponsors or anything has to do with the talk show host. This is nothing new and these extremist libs are just ignored and disregarded. If she really got tired of racist double standards regarding the word nigger then she should have not apologized and stand stood her ground. I am sure she makes enough money for her bosses and show sponsors that she can get away with saying anything as long as she did not call for the extermination of a group of people or called someone a nigger in a derogatory manner. Besides that if she really did something so egregious then I am sure employers could have fired her regardless of the fact she has a contract. CBS fired Don Imus and he probably was more popular than Dr. Laura.
 
People care what Newsbusters thinks?
Yes, some do, take Grim for example.

What's so funny?
It's not just funny, it's hilarious for the esteemed (and I use that word very very loosely) conservative Media Research Center (Newsbusters), thinks Dr. Laura was censored, she wasn't. They obviously don't understand what the First Amendment is about. The govenment can't take Dr. Laura off the air for what she said, however there are negative consequences, for example your employer can fire you for you speech.

The bottom line is Dr. Laura censored herself.
 
No. I do find it hypocritical that she gets dragged through the mud for saying the n-word explaining how people on HBO say it all the time, but if you're black and you actually call someone the n-word, it's funny. :confused:
 
What did Bill Maher say and how is what she said accurate at all? She says that all black people voted for Obama just because she is black, but on other shows apparently she tries to defend the idea of blacks voting for Republicans and being in the tea party. Can't have it both ways lady so which is it?

I believe her exact words were that "A lot of blacks" voted for him, not "All" blacks voted for him.

And honeslty, looking at the context of how she used the N word, I think the flack she's getting is ridiculous. Does that mean her first amendment rights are being violated? No, but that doesn't mean these people are reasonable in getting upset either.

How did she used it?

She used it while referencing something while in the middle of a somewhat lengthy conversation with a caller concerning what is or isn't racist and the CALLER asked if the N-word was racist. This was her response:

"SCHLESSINGER: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is nigger, nigger, nigger."

She was not calling anyone the word, she was not using it out of hate, she was not using it as a slur, she was simply using it as an accurate description of the EXACT word they were saying on HBO. That's all. The caller then gets insensed a little bit later, says it herself (I guess it's "Okay" in that situation), and Laura continues to say it ONLY in attempting to clarify her point and only in the exact same context OR to defend what she said by actually not acting like a 3rd grader and spelling something out which is still just as obvious:

"SCHLESSINGER: I didn't spew out the "nigger" word. "

"SCHLESSINGER: -- nigger, nigger, nigger is what you hear on HB --" (cut off by the caller)

"And what I just heard from Jade is a lot of what I hear from black-think -- and it's really distressting [sic] and disturbing. And to put it in its context, she said the N-word, and I said, on HBO, listening to black comics, you hear "nigger, nigger, nigger." I didn't call anybody a nigger. Nice try, Jade. Actually, sucky try."

Now when I hear "made a rant using the n-word 11 times" the first thing...hell the FOURTH thing...that comes to my mind from a statement like that is not someone using it to describe something they actually heard on TV and is simply actually using the word.

Tell me, how in the world does content, intent, or action change if she said:

"SCHLESSINGER: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is n-word, n-word, n-word."

Is one magically her slurring people and one magically not? Is one magically insulting people and one not? Is one magically meaning something different then the other?

The entire flap is ridiculous and idiotic and the caller baited her into repeating it for the most part anyways...said it themselves...and even initiated the topic on it.

Now, having said all that, my position remains the same. If idiots want to go forward with a boycott of this, and sponsors want to spinelessly pull out for this, then the company is free to get rid of her and no where in any of that has her first amendment rights been violated.
 
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