Debate : 11415


Off-Topic / Debate / 11415	11414 \| 11416

Subject:	Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment
Newsgroups:	lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date:	Thu, 5 Jul 2001 21:03:28 GMT
Viewed:	838 times

From my usual source, the Libertarian propaganda (NOT spam, mind you, I wanted it sent it to me, and I, as a regular participant of this group, feel it's worthy of discussion, so people who initially label it as spam are rude or clueless, take your pick) that I get in my email... -- start -- This past week, the New York-based First Amendment Center revealed that a startling number of Americans are willing or eager to give the government more control over speech and the press. Of the 1,102 adults randomly surveyed by telephone across the nation: * 46% said the press in America has "too much freedom to do what it wants." By contrast, only 36% think there is "too much government censorship." * 71% think it is somewhat or very important for the government "to hold the media in check." * 39% agree "the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees." That's up dramatically from just 22% who held that opinion last year. * 64% disagreed that "people should be allowed to say things in public that might be offensive to racial groups," with 36% saying there should be laws against such speech. -- end excerpt -- That scares me. I think our current press is a bit slanted but I'd never want to see it *restricted*!!! Call me elitist if you like but ... Unfettered majority rule scares me. People in large groups can be so clueless. I did a little digging on the FAC, I beleive this is their URL: http://www.freedomforum.org/first and this is the survey in question http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=14257 This organization (based on my read of where they get their money) is not particularly Libertarian, except inasmuch as the LP and libertarians share their viewpoint that free speech is a good thing. ++Lar

Message has 4 Replies:

		Re: Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment
(...) Come on, Larry. Look at it like whoever labeled it spam did: while YOU may have requested it, lugnet.off-topic.debate did NOT request it...you posted it for public consumption unbidden...that's why someone called it spam. That's all (Well, and (...) (23 years ago, 5-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Re: Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment
(...) I think that the government does need to step in in cases of public interest and libel. Otherwise, if you don't like what you are reading - stop reading. On the other hand, those are both restrictions, so obviously I feel that governmental (...) (23 years ago, 5-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Re: Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment
Larry, I really would like to know what your intent is of continiously posting material from the Libertarian party? Are you hoping to "convert" people into Libertarians? That seems to be the general impression I am getting. Offhand, I cannot think (...) (23 years ago, 6-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		More LP S P A M : (was Re: Scary Survey results about the US First Amendment)
When did the polling take place? What group was polled – age/sex/ethnic background? What order were the questioned asked in? Was any supplemental information given? How was the poll undertaken - telephone / face-to-face/via the web? Were any other (...) (23 years ago, 9-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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