@Thomas,
Quote:
While that is true as a legal matter, many of us also consider the freedom of speech an ethical value---including myself. If you no longer dare to speak your mind because political activists will come after your job if you do, that, too, abridges your freedom of speech, and that, too, is a bad thing. Private organizations are perfectly willing and able to mess with one's political freedoms. And it's part of what happened here.
No one's "political freedoms" were messed with.
A & E, as a private corporation, was free to fire or retain Robertson, based on their business interests. And they should be free to do that. Robertson represents their brand, and his employer can cut ties with him if they feel he's damaging their brand.
Robertson was not, and is not, prevented from expressing his opinions, but it's up to him whether he's willing to take the consequences for what he says. Whether A & E takes action against him, or consumers stop buying his duck whistles, he does risk consequences by his choice to publicly voice controversial remarks.
And the advocacy groups, for the LGBT community, and the black community, and for the faith-based and religious right wing communities, were all free to voice their opinions, and they all did.
I really can't see where anyone's "freedoms" were violated. No one has unlimited freedom, to do or say anything they want to, with a guarantee of no negative reactions or consequences. And that's always been the case.
Look, in every day life we're careful about we say because we know our speech has consequences. You generally don't tell your wife or close female friend, when she's wearing her favorite dress or swim suit, that it makes her look fat and dumpy and unattractive, even if she asks your opinion, unless you want to deal with the consequences.
The irony of the situation with Robertson is that, particularly regarding his remarks about gays and blacks, he's the one who'd most probably like to take away, or limit, other people's "freedoms"--that's what his brand of fundamentalist "Christian morality" is all about. So he's an odd choice as a rallying point on the issue of "freedom".