From the NY Times:New York, never at a loss for self-congratulatory words, regards itself as the most tolerant of cities, a place where one may express any thought freely. It is true. In New York, one may articulate any idea whatsoever — as long as that idea parallels popular opinion.
Stray too far from generally accepted wisdom, though, and you are asking for trouble.
The latest to discover this reality is a Texas group called Life Always, which bought billboard space in SoHo to deliver an anti-abortion message rooted in recent statistics from the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. They showed that in 2009, 41 percent of all pregnancies here ended in abortion. The abortion rate for black women was even higher, almost 60 percent.
Up went the billboard on a building at the corner of Avenue of the Americas and Watts Street. It showed a black girl with these words above her head: “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.”
Was this anti-abortion statement subtle? Hardly. Accurate? Depends on your politics. Offensive? For some people, yes. Out of step with mainstream thought in New York? For sure. And so, a few days ago in this most tolerant of cities, a raft of elected officials wasted no time calling for the billboard’s removal.
Lickety-split, the sign came down...
Some who objected to the sign complained that it was provocative. Of course it was. Since when is the American concept of free speech confined to opinions that are nice and safe and unlikely to cause a ripple?
Some also saw the message as racist. Clearly, it was racial. But racial and racist are not one and the same...
This plain act of censorship was not isolated. Rather, it fit into an established New York pattern of squelching unpopular opinions.
Bill de Blasio, the public advocate and one of the influential figures who demanded removal of the anti-abortion billboard, saw no assault on free speech. There should never be a law prohibiting this sort of sign, Mr. de Blasio said, “but to have a serious debate, to have people express their outrage, and then to have a private owner of the advertising space decide that it was ultimately not appropriate, that to me is a functioning democracy.”
Not quite, said Norman Siegel, a leading civil liberties lawyer. To him, freedom of expression took a hit.
“The principle of free speech is easy when the speech is something that’s popular and noncontroversial,” Mr. Siegel said. “The real test is when you disagree with the content of the speech and you still defend the right of someone to articulate the message.”
The city, he said, just flunked that test.
Looks like Democrats voted for the wrong public advocate candidate. It's wrong when conservatives do it, too. At least the Supreme Court got it right this time.
23 comments:
Sometimes the truth can hurt.
I'm shocked that the left-leaning NY Times actually ran a story acknowledging that many liberals only defend free speech when that speech is on the liberal side of issues. Free speech for me, but not for thee.
In New York, one may articulate any idea whatsoever — as long as that idea parallels popular opinion.
Stray too far from generally accepted wisdom, though, and you are asking for trouble.
RIGHT ON THE NOSE! Basically in this city if you say anything that is antagonistic or against any of the major populations (Irish,Italians,Jews, Blacks and Puerto Ricans/Dominicans) you will be silenced, black listed or have what you said completely censored.
These people HATE AMERICA to the deepest bone in their bodies.
In New York, one may articulate any idea whatsoever — as long as that idea parallels popular opinion.
No, the Democratic Machine defines itself as the 'popular opinion' - strong on tweeder issues - gays , immigrants, disabilities, and entitled whiny seniors - while they turn their back on middle America, the middle class, owner occupied buildings - and a strong reason why the country in desperation is turning to the ignorant tea baggers.
RE: snake p....
the patriots that you have demonized as "ignorant tea b------s " are the grass roots middle class Americans who are responsible for the voters rejecting 63 liberal/democrat/rino big tax spenders in federal government,in 2010.
hopefully this will continue in 2012.
maybe the citizens in "moscow on the hudson" and "the left coast" will have gotten smart
by 2012.
many are senior citizens who have defended our
CONSTITUTION all their lives.
It seems to me that in a plural society, the giving of offence is both inevitable and necessary. It is inevitable because we do have societies with deep-seated, conflicting views. But it’s far better to have those conflicts out in the open than to suppress them in the name of respect and tolerance. But most importantly, the giving of offence is necessary because no kind of social change or social progress is possible without offending some group of other. When people say, “you are offending me”, what they are really saying is, “you can’t say that because I don’t want my beliefs to be questioned or ridiculed or abused.” That seems to me deeply problematic.
RIGHT ON THE NOSE! Basically in this city if you say anything that is antagonistic or against any of the major populations (Irish,Italians,Jews, Blacks and Puerto Ricans/Dominicans) you will be silenced, black listed or have what you said completely censored.
These people HATE AMERICA to the deepest bone in their bodies.
-----------------
Do you care to give any examples? Stereotypes and generalizations are for the stupid. You can't label an entire race and generalize ANYBODY like that. Are you saying ALL jews hate America? ALL blacks? ALL latinos? ALL irish? Like my teachers say in school, "If you voice your opinion, then please back it up with proof and cite your sources." So please give me examples from a credible source that what you are sayin is true. You fucking douche-bag!
No, the commenter was referring to the tweeders who attack anyone who has their words twisted into something "racist" or "anti-Semitic" not the groups of people they are trying to tweed. And the article gives several examples of this.
Old man wrties: "many are senior citizens who have defended our
CONSTITUTION all their lives."
With what?, scoundrels like Nixon and McCarthy?..Smarmy pitchmen like Reagan, Liars like Cheney and Bush?
You've never bothered to "look under the hood" at how your country actually works.
You let your fears, ignorance and prejudices leave you vulnerable to manipulative demagogues who got you to vote against your own best interest.
People like you use "patriotism" as a weapon to bash at others, no different then those hardhat idiots bashing protesters with American flag poles.
You are a fool.
did you buy your delivery bike jockeys their accident insurance yet?how many are illegal aliens?
"There was NO government involvement."
When the public advocate, council speaker and council members call for the removal of something and actively pressure someone to shut up, then yes, that is government censorship. Their role is to disagree with it but let it be, as Norman Siegel explained.
It wasn't a "story", Anon # 2, it was an editorial, by the only-slightly-leaning-to-the-left Clyde Haberman. God Bless his moderate soul. Mainstream media needs more people like him and less loudmouth screaming jackasses like Rush and Michael Moore.
Anon. no. 3, you're 1/2 right. You are allowed to bash Irish and Italians, since they're white. And you can always come down on white, straight, able-bodied men who pay their bills and taxes, don't collect government money, own houses, etc.
did you buy your delivery bike jockeys their accident insurance yet?how many are illegal aliens?
LINO = BUSTED = FAIL
hahahhahahaha...........
Write in English, please?
happy birthday,Bob Grant, the king of conservative talk radio.
for his editorials,with common sense, google: "bob grant on line".
happy birthday,Bob Grant, the king of conservative talk radio.
for his editorials,with common sense, google: "bob grant on line".
RE:anon#9,from the U.E.S.
joe mc carthy was completely praised for his exposure of communists in the f.d.r./truman administrations,with the release of the VENOMA TRANSCRIPTS by the soviets,recently.
"communists in the f.d.r./truman administrations,with the release of the VENOMA TRANSCRIPTS by the soviets,recently."
Once again old man, those doc's were -top secret- and not available to Alky Joe during his ride of tyranny. There was doubt as to their veracity.
At any rate, there is still considerable doubt as to what, if any, influence on Govt policy some closeted reds might have had.
McCarthy needlessly ruined hundreds of careers and terrorized this Nation with his booze-fueled ego trip.
That era was a disgrace to a Nation that had saved the world from Nazism and Tojo.
His shameful era will thankfully be rendered into oblivion once your generation passes.
my era of patriots will pass on , but the comments of protectors of the U.S. Constitution will LIVE FOREVER ON THE QUEENS CRAPPER.
Anon No. 20:
You're the guy who calls people who dissent with your views traitors and whackos, correct?
defend your position and we will debate whether the above refers to you ?
if the shoe fits.....etc,etc.
why are you so shy to really initiate a comment? no defense?
I do defend my position. You don't. You just call people names.
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