This week or early last week (week of between April 26 to May 2 or thereabouts) in "FCC v. Fox TV" (according to the Parents Television Council website) the Roberts Court ruled in a majority (of mostly right-wing majority of Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice Roberts and Sam Elite-o plus Justice Kennedy)) decision that the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC or the Federal Censorship Gestapo) is within their rights to heavily fine radio and television stations for perceived or actual "indecency" over the airwaves. To the Parents Television Council (the PTC) and other right-wing pressure groups this ruling is a victory for so-called "decency", but for the rest of us this is a disappointing loss of freedom of choice and speech for both viewers, listeners and artists of all kinds.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly states: "Congress shall make no law abridging speech..." Why is broadcast tv and radio exempt from the First Amendment? And, why does Congress and the Courts ignore the First Amendment to accommodate a small minority of vocal loudmouths who are offended by almost anything? Also, why aren't more people joining or forming counter-pressure groups like the ACLU, People For The American Way, and Americans United For the Separation of Church and State, etc. I really resent having other people's values or supposed morals imposed on me. Why don't these people be more Christ-like by speaking out against economic and other true forms of injustice? If it were up to me I would have the FCC abolished as a cudgel of ruthless censorship, coercion of artists, viewers and listeners, or perhaps even proselitizing of hypocritical Christian values. We are for the most part a secular nation and not Jesus-land (except for the so-called Bible Belt). These pressure groups can take their phony values and stick 'em where the sun don't shine.
By the way, according to the parentstv.org website (website of the parents television council) there are at least 90,000 members of the PTC. In other words, 90,000 some-odd self-appointed busybodies pressure the media against the wishes of millions of potential viewers, listeners and artists.
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