Sep 27 2008
Many Industries Affected by Ebb and Flow of Free Speech
When considering which industries are most affected by free speech, one might immediately think of the arts. People can certainly recall book burnings and censorship. You might have seen footage of disc jockeys breaking records and saying, “Rock and roll has got to go.”
Perhaps you recall watching news reports about Disco Demolition Night in Chicago in 1979. Thousands of disco records were destroyed between games of a Chicago White Sox doubleheader and a full-scale riot ensued.
You may have been forwarded an email recently that was allegedly from Sarah Palin’s list of books she wanted to ban from the town library while she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. That list wasn’t really from Palin but it does comprise the books most often banned in American libraries.
Robert Mapplethorpe needed a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to be permitted to show his controversial photographs in museums. Larry Flynt also needed the Supreme Court to tell Jerry Falwell that satire is protected free speech.
Journalism is another industry that cannot function without free speech. Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada spent time in federal prison while in contempt of court rather than reveal who gave them grand jury testimony involving Barry Bonds’ alleged use of steroids. That leak is, in large measure, why the “steroid era” of baseball is so named.
Without free speech, journalists cannot do their jobs. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein depended on W. Mark Felt, then known as Deep Throat, to report on criminal activity conducted by the Richard Nixon administration.
Whistleblower laws are now on the books so government and private-sector officials may report on wrongdoing without fear of reprisals. Without such protection, free speech wouldn’t be realistic for employees attempting to describe illegal activities conducted or accepted by colleagues and superiors. A lot of people would remember Jeffrey Wiegand, the tobacco company executive who told about lies his corporation knowingly told the public for generations.
Let’s not forget PMRC, the pet project of Tipper Gore, and the people that opposed it-namely one Frank Zappa.
Or George Carlin, champion of free fucking speech and all around hero.
Or Bill Maher, who, in his Politically Incorrect way, is working every day to enlighten and entertain America.
Or, for that matter, me.
Things are getting tighter and now with Sattelite surveillance we are going to be even more marginalized.
Fair points both, Three and Yanjiaren. Neither candidate is talking about these issues. Granted, there’s a lot to do but both Sens. McCain and Obama knew that before declaring their candidacies.
Thanks for writing this.
Great work.
Thanks for your thoughts. Hope you’ll say more next time you visit.