Mosques, Bullying Pulpits, Dr. Laura & the First Amendment
Let’s review the First Amendment, shall we? It reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
It does not say we get to yell “fire” in a crowded theater. Joke about bombs in an airport. Prevent a law-abiding religious community from building a mosque. Verbally assault callers to a radio talk show or throw around racially insensitive language without repercussion. The First Amendment assures us of many protections but it is not specifically designed or intended to give carte blanche to ill-mannered, bigoted, and socially clueless people to be hateful and idiotic. Oh, they can surely be those things – let Freedom ring – but our great Constitution is not the safe zone for all manner of misbegotten behavior.
There are two purportedly First Amendment hot buttons flaring at the moment. Let’s start with the mosque protests:
I get the nuances. We all do. 9/11 impacted the world but no place more than New York and no people more than those who lost loved ones. But the lost loved ones included people of every race, creed and color, including Muslims, so what’s the real issue? Beyond nuance, there is no explanation to protest this building other than bigotry. None. You can use the We Must Be Sensitive to The 9/11 Families Card but it sags in the middle. Do the 9/11 Families really need us to become narrowminded bigots to assuage their grief? I don’t think so. This specious argument is just sheep’s clothing on a gnashing, snarling point of prejudice: Muslims blew up the World Trade Center, therefore all Muslims are bad (i.e., terrorists, almost terrorists, parents of terrorists, funders of terrorists…) and these bad people and their religion will remind the 9/11 families of those who took their loved ones’ lives and so we must be sensitive to that potential and prevent all Muslims from any representation near anyone or any area affected by 9/11. Really??? That holds water? Taking that logic a step further, it would stand to reason, then, that since American terrorist Timothy McVeigh was a declared Christian, out of deference and sensitivity to those families who suffered losses at the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, NO CHURCHES OR CHRISTIAN CENTERS SHOULD BE BUILT ANYWHERE NEAR THAT HALLOWED PLACE. But there are nine churches in the area. Nine Christian churches near the building bombed all to hell by a Christian man. I don’t see anyone lined up waving placards about spitting on graves or screaming about First Amendment rights to protest those wily, destructive Christians. But apparently it is acceptable to denounce, vilify and discriminate against an entire Islamic religion based on the acts of the fanatical few. And the First Amendment should protect your right to do so. Hmmm.
Then, on a lighter but no less specious note, there’s Dr. Laura. Oh, Dr. Laura. Dear Miz Schlessinger. The radio “therapist.” The doctor of physiology. The woman who introduces herself as “my son’s mother” (her teeth grind while saying “feminists” and she’s stated that Planned Parenthood is a radical organization, so it stands to reason she’d consider a woman’s procreative status the truest form of feminine identity…I got tired just writing that). Odd that someone so possessive of her maternal role with its requisite job description of mentor/teacher/model should so consistently behave in the rude, inconsiderate, arrogant manner that would surely get a kid sent to time-out tout de suite. If the son I mothered ever treated people with the disdain and disrespect she wields as a matter of course, I’d consider myself a parental failure and him a permanent resident of his room.
But maybe that’s what just happened. Miz Schlessinger has finally been given a societal time-out. The Listening Public has finally reached its tipping point with her spouted lunacy and has yelled “ENOUGH!” and so she’s headed for the corner to calm down and potentially learn a lesson. But lo and behold, instead of taking it like a woman, this exemplar of moral certitude has gone constitutionally postal, ranting to Larry King about how she needs to quit radio to have the freedom to exercise her First Amendment rights since “I don’t have the right to say what I want.” My God, I thought when I heard that, what on earth haven’t you said that you’d like to?? I shudder to think.
The fact is, Miz Schlessinger has been given free rein and made a fabulous living saying and doing pretty much exactly what she pleases, with little regard for the emotional impact, particularly on her ambushed callers. The to-do list on her microphone must read something like: insult their intelligence, diminish their problems, cut them off rudely, promote conservative agenda in lieu of true therapeutic assistance, yell like a raging mother, condescend, treat them like idiot children, patronize, be passive-aggressive…oh, the list could go on. I have often wondered why, oh why, do these people actually call and put themselves in line for her abuse and humiliation? How desperate do you have to be to publicly avail yourself of the ministrations of Mean Girl Mommie Dearest when a true therapist would actually have your well being in mind rather than their own agenda?
Miz Schlessinger has disingenuously co-opted the very real issue of free speech to defend her behavior and justify her “I’ll take my ball and go home” pout. Fitting for a woman of her arrogance. Let’s be clear: where real free speech is being squashed, may the Constitution be held high. In this case, please, doctor, step away from the Bullying Pulpit, sit down, shut up, and learn some manners.
I’m thrilled that Dr. Laura’s leaving radio; the listening public and those vulnerable callers will be better off for it. I hope the mosque in New York gets built and caring Muslims can practice their faith and show their inherent compassion as vital members of our community. Let’s respect our Constitution by saving it for those issues that deserve the weighty power of its thoughtful amendments.
To squander it on rude and racially insensitive talk show hosts and placard-waving religious bigots seems like a big, fat waste of our very precious rights.
Photo credits:
First Amendment poster @ www.encyclopedia.com
Dr. Laura & Mosque Protest photos; artists unknown
Pulpit photo @ www.redlionantiquestexas.com
November 17th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Keep it up, nice job!
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November 17th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
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November 17th, 2010 at 7:15 am
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LDW Reply:
November 17th, 2010 at 5:43 am
Jeana: Thanks for your comments….I really appreciate it and hope you’ll keep reading. And I’m thrilled you’d ask about the visual elements! I designed the banner art and the theme is a Word Press theme called Elegant Grunge. I like it too. Thanks again! LDW
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LDW Reply:
November 17th, 2010 at 5:47 am
Thanks, Morgan. The link to the RSS feed is at the bottom of the blog. I hope you will subscribe and keep reading! LDW
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October 31st, 2010 at 11:19 am
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October 30th, 2010 at 3:59 am
Thank you for all the comments, many of which were passionate abd thoughtful. I encourage the debate, regardless of where my own opinion lies, and I feel like my contribution as a writer has a point if it inspires some thought, some emotion, some expression. Thank you all for the feedback; thank you for being interested in what I have to say. I really appreciate it. LDW
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September 14th, 2010 at 8:29 am
All these rednecks protesting about the Muslim Center in New York City are retarded. It is not being built at the momorial site. It is being built in Manhattan, but not at the exact site. Should they keep out of New York City entirely? It is stupid.
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September 11th, 2010 at 1:58 am
Crazy, can you believe its been almost 10 years to this day. R.I.P. To everyone who died, it was a sad day. 9/11 was a very terrible day. It brought us together and made us closer than ever as a nation. All of the brave men and women who helped in the enormous rescue attempt, I salute each and every one of you. There were over 2000 innocent people who died that day, that still gives me the chills thinking about it. Men and women died, to save the lives of others. Over 300 firefighters, dead. Cherish the day. Remember the memories.
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September 9th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
You certainly deserve a round of applause for your post and more specifically, your blog in general. Very high quality material.
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August 31st, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Well, well, what have we here…
Where were you when Nidal Hassan, a Muslim, shot up 13 soldiers and injured many others in the name of Islam as he yelled “Allah Akbar” as he did it. I assume you were condemning him and the incredible lack of mainstream media focus on the role his religion played in getting him to that point? Shall I go on and on and on. How about the guy in New York who wanted to blow up as many people as possible in Times Square and had already made his jihad video.
You can give one example of an extreme nut who shoots a late term abortion doctor as if there is even a close equivalence of how many Muslims are killing Muslims and non-Muslims all over the world. If your goal is tolerance, why not start with the Muslims themselves? How about the way Muslims treat gays?
Have you condemned it that so many death threats are coming in that FreedomWorks has had to move their offices?
How about the fact that Dennis Prager and his team did research to find even one major elite liberal opinion writer on the mosque issue that didn’t call opponents bigots and similar names and he couldn’t find it. See the examples here http://tinyurl.com/2dnzvgv
If you are going to write from a point of wisdom, then you must acknowledge that I can give at least as many examples from your side of “ill-mannered, bigoted and socially clueless” people on the left.
Are you out protesting that college campuses are setting up speech codes to restrict speech that they deem “offensive”? Why aren’t you writing about that?
It may help you to know that I know liberalism from the inside out, having been one for a good while, until I started reading consistently both sides, then I became more conservative, because as Margaret Thatcher said “The facts of life are conservative”. Liberalism is a feeling based philosophy. That’s why liberals can hate so much, but feel justified in their rhetoric. Proposition 8 in California was called Proposition Hate and they felt perfectly justified. This Heritage Foundation page has over 100 referenced examples of people who are anti Prop 8 committing violence, vandalism, burglary, etc. against people for Prop 8. What do you have to say about that? http://tinyurl.com/2e5mzoy
Using your conjecture, then if you don’t condemn each of those people, then I assume you agree with them? That’s what you are trying to do with me. This implication that if I don’t address some of the crappy people on my side that I agree with them is also a trick of trying to paint me as agreeing with those positions if I don’t respond. That is also intellectually lazy and beneath you.
One trick that many liberals often do is to compare the wonderful people on their side with the bad people on the other side. I say compare wonderful to wonderful and bad to bad.
What I don’t agree with is how many liberals will paint people like Glenn Beck incorrectly, then work from that false position as if it is fact, then write blogs with a new false reality and make conclusions. It isn’t a reporting of fact. Of course, you can take something out of context that doesn’t at all address the dominate discussion and run with it as if that is the person’s message. This is done all the time at NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post, ABC, CNN, CBS, NBC, etc…
A perfect example is what you do with Dr. Laura, who has helped countless people through the years. You try to demean her by saying “The radio “therapist”. The doctor of physiology” as if to demean her, put her down so she doesn’t have to be taken seriously. What’s wrong with a doctorate is physiology, by the way? She was in private practice for years a therapist. She was making a philosophical point about how blacks use the n-word all the time, but cry racism and try to get someone taken off the air if others use the word even just to make a point. She does have a more abrasive approach that many people don’t like, but she is constantly trying to bust through people’s victim thinking, which is our national growing culture now. For the record, I hate the use of the n-word and wish EVERYONE INCLUDING BLACKS would never use it.
But to sign off I have a great idea: read both sides constantly and actually try not to paint the other side as bigots, as you may become one…
I do take you at your word, though, that you are trying to keep an open mind. I must say it doesn’t seem to come through in your writing as often as you may be thinking, but keep it up. I know it isn’t easy to write a blog and have people like me respond and challenge. Good luck with it.
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LDW Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 1:30 am
Jerry, I’ve been gracious enough to publish your comments…that shows some measure of openmindedness, don’t you think? :)
You obviously feel extreme passion about your side of this debate…good for you. I do about mine, as well, and I stand by my statements made — all of them, even about Dr. Laura — and will continue to express my opinions and viewpoints on this blog of mine. I’d take your challenge to cover all the other many atrocities you listed in your comment but frankly, I choose to make this blog a bit more electic and occasionally more uplifting in its subject matter!
Our world has a rich, long, deep history of using religion to justify vicious thoughts and actions, from time immemorial and certainly into the future. ALL KINDS OF RELIGIONS…not just Muslims. Most have taken their bite in one era or another…Christians, Mormons, Evangelicals, yes, Muslims, and counting. And there are enough strong-minded people out there on all sides flinging their opinions back and forth to cover them all, including you. I wrote about the specific issues that piqued my interest and I stand by my perspective. Maybe you should put up your own blog and publish your thoughts and feelings openly. Sounds like you’ve got the intensity and fire to do a good job at it.
Clearly we have vastly different worldviews. That’s fine. I don’t need you to agree with me…I’m clear and comfortable with my thoughts and, yes, all those liberal “feelings” I have and I’m not trying to convince you of anything. Just as you’ve made a study of your viewpoint and feel very grounded and certain in it, so, too, am I with my perspective. We’re sort of a microcosm of what’s going on in our country today, aren’t we?
But again, if you’re going to take the time to write so prolifically on others’ pages, be sure you’re really as openminded and interested in the vaunting of respectful debate as you say you are…I don’t know you, but you come across as more aggressive and baiting in your opinion than genially openminded. I wouldn’t guess you were particularly magnanimous or as welcoming of different viewpoints, etc. as you purport…not based simply on reading your words. I’ll assume it’s in the delivery.
Best to you, Jerry. Truly. Rest assured that I’m not trying to “paint the other side as bigots”; I’m simply writing about those who are openly and loudly presenting themselves as such. The rest of the crowd on either side of the debate will always get my full benefit of doubt.
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August 30th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Lorraine,
You are a very good creative writer, but you have decided to lower yourself. You, and most of all modern liberalism/progressivism, have become what you fought against in the sixties: hateful and prejudiced. Is Charles Krauthammer “ill-mannered, bigoted, and socially clueless”? I can tell you that I know many people in the tea party movement and many conservatives and most of them are concerned and decent people, just as people on the left are.
Why is it that liberals have to lower themselves to dehumanizing those they disagree with? Conservatives can’t have a differing view or we must be bigots, homophobes, racists, extremists, evil people, etc.
I’ll tell you why, you don’t have to debate bad people. When you turn those you disagree with into bad people, you have fully excused yourself from considering their ideas. It is intellectual laziness.
Liberals love diversity, except when it comes to viewpoint, then it must be all the same or the person disagreeing is a bad person.
Believe me when I tell you that both sides are sincere and want a good outcome. We certainly have different views on how to get there, but I believe liberals are sincere. It appears certain that you, and most modern liberals, cannot afford the same courtesy. Wow, what a legacy from the sixties…
Why not try to write your blog without dehumanizing those who are on the other side? I hope you take this critique in the spirit of elevating dialogue.
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LDW Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 6:42 am
Jerry, my goodness…
“Lower myself”??? Me and all of us, all us liberals? You make such generalities but yet you present yourself as an openminded chap? Hmmm.
You must not have read my writing too deeply to come away with such a negative, reactive impression of my thoughts on the topic…your own writing, frankly, seems more critical and bitter than mine. As anyone who knows me, knows my politics, knows my philosphy, knows my theories of discourse would know, I agree with you that sincere discourse is necessary and possible, as well as the fact that many of the people in the conservative movement are concerned, decent people – some of them are in my own family, some are dear friends. Unfortunately, regardless of those fine people in both our lives, there is also a contingent on your side of the aisle that has taken the decent core principals of the Republican party and the conservative movement and mutated them into something that presents itself exactly as I stated – ill-mannered, bigoted and socially clueless. Why do I say that? Because some of those are also in my family. Some of those are my neighbors and associates talking about our “n-word President,” making unbelievably bigoted statements about many of the good people who’ve immigrated to this country and are the backbone of many of our industries. Some of those are on TV and radio, fomenting rage and distrust and illogical fear and THOSE are the people, and the actions, that I will always speak against, regardless of party affiliation.
My own favorite quote, one I have posted on my Facebook page says: “I desire a culture where people of different political persuasions remain civil, decent & open-minded. I’m weary of this polarized debate. Intelligent minds can disagree without rancor. Honorable people can accept a good idea from the other side.” So you see, I actually agree with your stated philosophy of discourse. But that doesn’t mean that clear, concise and accurate criticism is disallowed or unwarranted. This blog is mine and the opinions expressed are my own and the ones expressed in the article you’re referring to are ones I feel very strongly about. That you disagree is fine. But openness to truth goes both ways; when something rises (or descends) to the level that too much of our recent political posturing does, good minds on both sides, all sides, should speak out. That’s not “lowering” myself; that’s having intellectual integrity.
So let me ask you, are you saying you agree with the people carrying on about Obama being an African who should be lynched? Are you agreeing with the people who believe gays are abominations who should not be afforded equal rights? Do you agree that law-abiding American Muslims should not be allowed to build a community center many blocks away from Ground Zero? Do you believe that Dr. Laura is a good therapist who DOESN’T verbally abuse people? If so, I grant you your opinion but runs counter to my own and we can just leave it at that. But my intellectual integrity compels me to believe that people in all parties are OBLIGATED to be decent and concerned and yet too many of them would rather be reactionary, controversial, incendiary and downright ignorant. Sorry, but that’s what I see far more than I’d like. If the platforms above are ones you agree with, if those are platforms of decent, caring people, I question your point.
Just as many of the conservatives – and liberals, for that matter – believe, for example, that the Muslim community should speak out more loudly against the fanatics and criminals in their religion, so must the members of any group speak out against the radical and irrational elements in their own. And like any movement, there IS a radical element in the conservative/tea party movement – one that warrants the criticism I and others have expressed. But believe me, if a Liberal or Moderate contigent makes posters with Obama in African gear or lynched from a tree, when their pundits scream about gays being less deserving of equal rights than others, when their religious beliefs cause them to judge and be disdainful and discriminatory of others, when they care more about preserving the wealth of the few over the benefit and well-being of the many, when they shoot decent, caring physicians in the name of God because they do not share their religious beliefs, when they lack the empathy to embrace an immigrant with a heart and soul as good as their own – when the they do any of those things, trust me, I will be happy to write about them as well.
I take your critique as the words of someone with strong opinions and fierce belief in your side of things. And I respect that. But be aware of your own generalities and presumptions. When you say ” We certainly have different views on how to get there, but I believe liberals are sincere. It appears certain that you, and most modern liberals, cannot afford the same courtesy,” you are revealing a lack of authenticity in your claim to openmindedness. You can’t have it both ways. Don’t claim wisdom and then paint me – and all liberals – with such generalities. Really get my point and get beyond your own reaction. Open your own mind, Jerry, and don’t assume that because I have taken authetic umbrage with some members of your party, that I am incapable of embracing a good heart, a good idea or a wise thought from someone who may not necessarily share my political beliefs. The fact is, I do it every day.
Thanks for taking the time to weigh in. Lorraine
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August 27th, 2010 at 1:38 am
Good Blog!
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August 26th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Oh wow, did you nail Dr. Laura!! I also would find myself, on occasion, listening to her and getting absolutely irate! I could not believe her lack of compassion, her lack of insight, her lack of manners and mostly her lack of talent to do the job for which she was ostensibly trained to do! Of course, I would then question my dearth of good sense in that I was even listening to her and getting myself all worked up. I think I figured out that I was really waiting, clearly in vain, for somebody with half a brain to challenge her and put her in her place. Obviously that was never going to happen for two reasons. First, anyone that would call in to a radio doc(especially Dr. Laura, ain’t got a whole lot going on upstairs and; second, she would surely hit the dump button long anyone could articulate a valid criticism of her. I finally came to my senses and quit listening, thank god she’s gone (just in case I ever relapsed).
Your comments on the proposed mosque and the abuse, overuse and over commercialization of 9/11 are also quite insightful. Its a sensitive subject for many but the big picture is being totally obscured by misplaced sympathies and misguided “loyalties”. You said it beautifully!
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August 25th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Great post. Thanks!
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August 24th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Awesome, that’s precisely what I was searching for! You just saved me alot of searching around.
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August 22nd, 2010 at 6:16 pm
I’m a big fan of the First Amendment, although to love it means you have to accept the bigger picture of freedom for all – even the most odious beliefs or opinions. Remember the Nazi march in Skokie in the 70′s, a burb with a strong Jewish population?. The First Amendment won, although the Nazis were allowed to march. Once we starting selectively censoring, we are on the slippery slope.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
This clause has two prongs: first, there will be no endorsed American religion and second, Americans are free to practice religious beliefs. To me that means that the statement “America is a Christian nation” is incorrect constitutionally. It also means that I as an American can worship freely – whether it be worshipping Yahweh, Jesus, Allah, Adolph Hitler’s memory, Adam Lambert or the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
The flap about the “mosque” which appears to be more of a YMCA with worship center concept is an example of the odious side of the First Amendment in this electronic era. There is already a small mosque in the area – should it be demolished because of 9-11? What began as a simple local zoning matter got politicized and went viral with national voices who don’t have to live with the ultimate decision. This forces other national voices to respond. Again and again and again until the din level of 11 is reached.
Those like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich who weigh in are taking advantage of a local situation best decided by locals to advance their own political agendas. Frankly, they are playing to “base white.” NIMBY-ism to a national degree.
It seems so transparent to me – the idiocy of the argument that renovation of a blighted building for a neighborhood purpose is not a good thing. But when you add the emotion of 9-11 and the xenophobic fears of religions that might not be well understood by Westerners, it’s a fire in a theater waiting to happen.
Kind of like the way the meaning of 9-11 has been tarnished, politicized, commercialized and branded; dare I say that when I hear anyone invoke 9-11 lately, the loss of lives that day is usually not the focus of the invocation and I inevitably turn away? It started with Rudy Guiliani who was on his termed-out way, but just happened to be NYC mayor that day. Because of that circumstance, he got some extra time in office, launched a presidential campaign and some regard him as a 9-11 hero and illogically an expert on national security issues. The very real symbolism of that site has been co-opted, distorted and merchandized ever since by many.
As for Dr. Laura, I first heard her somewhere in the depths of Wyoming driving on I-80. In those days, it was hard to get good reception and her station happened to have the strongest signal. I remember that most of her criticism involved the perils of “shacking up” and remember thinking that something in her backstory must have happened to create this rather strident stance.
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;”
But she, like Sarah Palin, doesn’t understand the First Amendment. Remember when Palin interpreted the amendment to mean she had a right to protection from those mean questions and critiques from the press when she was a national candidate? Dr. Laura had the protection of the First Amendment everytime she was in front of a live mike – all the inanities, all the bullying opinions and putdowns, all the misinformation – yep, protected speech. Just like Palin’s inane twit-tweets and faux-Facebook entries (has to involve ghost writers – she’s not that quick and the writing styles vary from entry to entry).
Dr. Laura was the “victim” of rejection in the marketplace of ideas. She went an n-word too far, lost sponsors and suffered the consequences. Ease on down the road, baby, and get off the airwaves. She will no doubt go the Palin-route – twitting and tweeting and blogging with thousands of ‘friends’ or ‘followers,’ and most likely will be replaced on-air with some other potentially offensive, baiting personality.
But, yes, thankfully, she will no longer be the strongest signal on dark stretches of the interstate. In the marketplace of ideas, you have a bazaar ranging from enlightened conversation to the bizarre on the fringes. Some days it’s quality, some days it’s drek. The market will prevail and in this electronic age I hope that the drek is not predominant. I hope that the Palins and her ilk will likewise fade from prominence as the latest K-Mart specials, but that may be too much to hope for. It’s too easy to agree when you don’t think.
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LDW Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:40 am
Brilliant, Cris, and such a powerful addendum to the original article. Thank you for expounding with such detail and insight…almost feel like I should run this right along with mine!
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August 21st, 2010 at 8:09 am
Great precise info, I’ve been searching on this topic for a while. Bookmarked and recommended!
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August 19th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
until I return…an hilarious takedown of Dr. Laura
http://www.timwise.org/2010/08/dr-lauras-reign-of-error-and-general-absurdity/
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LDW Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Cris…you’re right, great takedown! The critical mass of what’s being said these days will hopefully have an impact. Time to let wider minds man the airwaves, I think!
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August 19th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Read and will return to comment….lunch hour ends and I’m off to a local production of Grease tonight.
If I’m still singing Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee at midnight, I’ll try to refocus by responding to this blog.
Too much meat to digest on a lunch hour….
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