Thursday, October 07, 2010

Working hard against Citizens United and the First Amendment

Just as pro-lifers worked hard to get around and overrule Roe v. Wade and it’s progeny, others are working to try to get around (and overrule) the U.S. Supreme Court's recent First Amendment decision, Citizens United. LINK I suggest these newest busy bees consider the following: “But when men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to believe even more than they believe the very foundations of their own conduct that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas--that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes safely can be carried out. That at any rate is the theory of our Constitution.” Abrams v. United States, 250 U.S. 616, 630, 40 S.Ct. 17, 22, 63 L. Ed. 1173 (1919) (Holmes, J., dissenting) In the realm of religious faith, and in that of political belief, sharp differences arise. In both fields the tenets of one man may seem the rankest error to his neighbor. To persuade others to his own point of view, the pleader, as we know, at times, resorts to exaggeration, to vilification of men who have been, or are, prominent in church or state, and even to false statement. But the people of this nation have ordained in the light of history, that, in spite of the probability of excesses and abuses, these liberties are, in the long view, essential to enlightened opinion and right conduct on the part of the citizens of a democracy. Cantwell v. State of Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296, 310, 60 S.Ct. 900, 906, 84 L. Ed. 1213 (1940) This final quote suggests faith in the people to overcome the flaws in the marketplace and reach an enlightened decision. If you don’t trust the average voter, then government intervention to “protect” the public is necessary. I don’t see why we should let government tinker with First Amendment freedoms. It’s like asking the fox to guard the hen house.

1 comment:

  1. Religion and politics can be volatile topics. Most folks believe they're on the righteous path. But not all paths lead to salvation and/or prosperity. People are effective navigators or they're not. Does this mean life is a reality survival series? As Sarah would say, you betcha! And in the end the losers will be the fantasy island progressives. Senseless? Absolutely. Why do they persist on making life unnecessarily difficult for every American? If states ran their own domestic affairs you'd at least have a fighting chance to live a good life. This is what true federalism was suppose to be about. Not unlimited centralized power.

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