I keep jumping fences on this.  On one hand, I'll admit it fit my political thoughts at the time when the Dixie Chicks got knocked over hard.  But I still maintain that was different than what is going on now.  When the actual audience says "go screw yourself"...that's the ultimate power and will be headed.  I think the Dixie Chicks were in that audience until they moved on and found like-minded people.  So I don't really have a problem with censure by a masses of a medium in which those masses listen, feel or watch.  That sounds like "choice" to me.  Just as if we all go buy a Coke the next 600 days...there will be very less Pepsi on the shelf.  I'm fine with that.

All these newest radio things bother me.  Regardless the political concept.  The audience was still there for all of them.  I'm not gonna say a medium with an audience can't go too far...Penthouse could put a 12 year old girl nude in their mag and sadly grow their audience.  So audience certainly isn't the only factor. 

But this does bug me.  It reminds me of a group of lawyers that probably should be celebrated but has become nothing more than leftist sympathizing scum.  The Southern Poverty Law Center.  On one hand, you have to cheer to think this is the group that was first able to track "hate" back to something of value and sue.  They were able to show the death of a black person started in a KKK "clubhouse".  They sued and took that building away and whatever else could be found of value.  To the victims.  Sounds good.  But that was a start of what is obviously a slippery slope for anyone the least bit cynical.

First, Southern Poverty is just like the ACLU in selectivity.  If you are conservative being raped up the rear by communists...SPL will laugh and ignore that.  In actuality, it'll ever cross the radar.  But they do more good on first glances.  For instance, they sue the people who write books about an imaginary government takeover and people defending themselves.  From this, they say, was hatched Timothy McVay's ideas.  If you want to write a book like this...you might as well not if you want to live in a house and not a tent.  I guess this is good?  Is it good?  They also sue abortion protestors.  Now obviously they have cause with killers like we have had in Pensacola.  But they go to the source.  They find leaders who hate abortion...they sue them.  It all sounds like Disneyland if you are a bit left.  Sue all those bastards!!!  Find the source of all that goes wrong on the right and sue it to oblivion!  Wooo Hooo. 

But really, how hard is it to see where this will go?  Precedents?  Your little 1960's conscientious objections would've caused you and your entire family to kill themselves in today's climate after everything was taken.  Well, ok..I exaggerate...conservatives haven't figured out this means of "silencing" in the general public quite yet. 

So anyway the Southern Poverty Law Center seems like heroes.  They've sued people who join the KKK and won.  They've sued these freaks who are pro-life and taken their assetts.  They've sued people who write books that suggest how to rise against the US during Democratic times.  Now they stump and try to sue people who go to the border to protect it.  Because obviously they are haters of minorities who want to be in the KKK if SPLC hadn't sued them first.  There can be no alternative thought.  There can be no disagreement.  If you are on the wrong side of a group that can spen millions suing you...you have no voice.  You have none if you are smart. 

They will never sue any books, thoughts, speeches that suggest Bush is the anti-Christ and should be killed.  I don't know who is dead because of commie blogs.  They do seem to rouse "hate" which is the fundemental construct of their suits.  But don't worry.  You can hate all you want.  There will never be a comparable suit with conservatives as the victors.  Now I know most of you realize that is because you are beyond reproach, your movement is, you are, and all people who have different thought deserve to be silenced.  That is the scare of SPLC.  It is the ultimate in killing free speech.  It is, "if you don't adhere to our constructs...you can say it but we will take your house and garnish 100% of your wages from now on".  And people love it.  No problem with it.    Go go go.  Say what you want.  It's "free".  No ability for you guys to see where this is leading.  The funny thing is, your socialist brothers may be setting the precedents for a totalitarian facsist right-winged government like none ever seen.  In some ways...I root for that irony.  To be able to sue the dissenters out of there homes.  To be able to tell them they still are allowed to freely "speak" after that.  Good deal.

Back to the radio.  I don't like the recent problems with Imus and so on because it strikes me as SPLC in a different form.  Now you know you can't speak even "goofy" without consequence.  Maybe each circumstance is different all coming to a head at the same time.  However, if all we have left to send voices beyond our back fences are corporations...how can we just say "oh well, the corporations got scared about ad revenue and cancelled the voice".  Isn't that directly against many of your anti-corporate thoughts?  Actually, isn't that exactly what the fear was of corporations "taking over the world"?  There is no more outlets for these guys other than corporate.  In my area, there may be 2 or 3 really off the wall nut job independent AM radio stations that 4 people listen to.  You are calling that a reasonable alternative for Imus or whoever?  Remember, these people had a willing audience before and after their comments. 

Seems like many people define "free speech" as what they can do under the radar of having anyone actually hear them for fear of the reprise.  I don't see that as free speech at all.  If I want to take my thoughts further I must be rolled over by a tank in Tiananmen Square?