Imus and Free Speech
by Tim Sullivan

I enjoyed your essay “Imus Double Standard,” on freedom of speech and yes, outrage is in the eye of the beholder and also subject to fashion. Freedom of speech means generally, no prior restraint but it does not protect one from the consequences of Free Speech, you know like getting a punch in the nose.

There was once a doctrine in law called "fighting words."

Below is a satirical ad regarding the movie "The Passion" and was part of the attack on Mel Gibson prior to his movie going into production. There was some defense of the movie but no criticism of this attack on the movie and Mel.

I read an essay by Honor Tracy called "Mind You I've Said Nothing" where she said when sober the Irishman can look a person and immediately know the most kind and flattering things to say but the same Irishman when drunk can look at the same person and know immediately the most hurtful things to say to that person. Sounds familiar and on target to me.

Now we also have the buildup of Al Sharpton by the MSN as a respectable spokesman for Black America when we know he is an evil purveyor of libel from his New York City days.

Don Imus was hired to say outrageous things and at the worst, his employers should have let the whole thing blow over or taken him off the air for a few days with a minimal comment.

In general, adults should avoid using language that hurts the feelings of others or groups in general. I thought that the Danish newspaper cartoons of Mohammad were uncalled for and calculated to enrage the Muslim world.

On the other hand, the Egyptian blogger, the Big Pharaoh, mocked his fellow Muslims for their reaction and posted a humorous story about a mocking contest in Israel to see who could draw the most anti-Semitic cartoons. The blog included some of the cartoons.

I get a lot of emails saying the most outrageous things about Muslims and some about Mormons.

There was an essay recently in the WSJ on line Opinion Journal saying the ACLU is now will to limit speech when it comes to certain minorities.

I also remember that it was fashionable, back in the 1970s, when "All In The Family" was on the air, to call working class Italian, Irish, Polish etc. White Ethnics.

But remember this, when Al Smith lost in 1928 the big joke was that Smith sent the shortest telegram ever to the Pope saying, "UN PACK. I always thought that was funny.

All the best, Tim Sullivan