A&E is a television network, not an extension of the government, and this private enterprise decided to suspend an employee who said dumb things to a reporter. But note, Phil Robertson is still free to say whatever he wants to say, to whomever he wants to say it, whenever it suits his fancy. His free-speech rights remain entirely intact. A&E isn’t censoring anyone; it’s simply distancing itself from a man on their payroll who said offensive things – and since private companies are not required to tolerate bigotry from their employees, the company’s actions are hardly outrageous.
The freedom of speech does not mean the freedom to have someone pay you for your speech. And with this in mind, Phil Robertson’s First Amendment rights have not been infringed, by his employer or anyone else. -- Steve Benen
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"...Freedom of Speech: The legal means to say almost anything you want. Meaning that as private citizens, we’re allowed to say nearly anything (with a few exceptions of course) that we want without fear of legal prosecution for it.
Unless I’ve missed something, Mr. Robertson faces no legal ramifications for what he said. That’s what freedom of speech means.
Freedom of speech does not mean we can say anything we want without ramifications for what we say from our peers or employers.
We’re free to be racist, bigoted, anti-Semitic — pretty much anything we want. We can be these things, no matter how ignorant, because that’s what the Constitution gives us the right to be.
But that doesn’t mean within a society we won’t face consequences for those “freedoms.”
The suspension of Phil Robertson is not an attack on Robertson’s right to believe how he wants. It’s a consequence from an employer for him expressing an opinion which A&E feels represents them in a negative light.
When he signed his contract, it almost certainly included a clause that says he’s a representative of A&E and is expected to act accordingly. All public figures, whether they want to be or not, are representatives of something. Be it a company, a brand, a sports team or league – it’s the price that comes along with fame.
So, yes, he was free to say what he said – and now he’s paying the consequences for it.
Just ask Alec Baldwin or Martin Bashir, two gentlemen who were fired (well, Bashir “resigned” but it’s clear he was forced to do so) for expressing their “freedom of speech” rights." -- Allen Clifton
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"...Freedom of Speech: The legal means to say almost anything you want. Meaning that as private citizens, we’re allowed to say nearly anything (with a few exceptions of course) that we want without fear of legal prosecution for it.
Unless I’ve missed something, Mr. Robertson faces no legal ramifications for what he said. That’s what freedom of speech means.
Freedom of speech does not mean we can say anything we want without ramifications for what we say from our peers or employers.
We’re free to be racist, bigoted, anti-Semitic — pretty much anything we want. We can be these things, no matter how ignorant, because that’s what the Constitution gives us the right to be.
But that doesn’t mean within a society we won’t face consequences for those “freedoms.”
The suspension of Phil Robertson is not an attack on Robertson’s right to believe how he wants. It’s a consequence from an employer for him expressing an opinion which A&E feels represents them in a negative light.
When he signed his contract, it almost certainly included a clause that says he’s a representative of A&E and is expected to act accordingly. All public figures, whether they want to be or not, are representatives of something. Be it a company, a brand, a sports team or league – it’s the price that comes along with fame.
So, yes, he was free to say what he said – and now he’s paying the consequences for it.
Just ask Alec Baldwin or Martin Bashir, two gentlemen who were fired (well, Bashir “resigned” but it’s clear he was forced to do so) for expressing their “freedom of speech” rights." -- Allen Clifton
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