Lots of talk about Freedom of Speech here today

[AllentownJake]

The Pot Bangers had their rally today. They were given a place to protest away from the Today show. They had their bull horn taken away when it interfered with the broadcast. They excercised their first amendment right to protest Keith and Chris and hopefully they feel like the accomplished what they were looking to get accomplished.

There is another side to Freedom of speech as well.

The Today show has the right to Freedom of Speech. NBC owns the studio. NBC owns that property. They have a license to broadcast there to the country without having their broadcast interupted by a bullhorn. NBC excercised its freedom of speech by ignoring them.

When someone says something or protests something we don't have to agree with them. We also don't have to be silent on how stupid the protest was. When someone attacks a good progressive like Keith we don't have to be silent and simply take the abuse that is being hurled his way. We can speak up for him.

If you post pics showing how succesful your protest was on the internet, as a news story, the other side has the right to use them to mock you in anyway they want. When you step out and protest you expose yourself to ridicule. Thats part of the deal of standing in the street with signs and shouting. The rest of the world can shout back.

Some of you may agree with them and say but they are protesting who are we as progressives to criticise other progressives for protesting...do we criticize the church that sends anti-gay protesters to soldiers funerals? Do we criticize the anti-abortion protesters? While I'm not comparing them to these groups...we do criticize protests.

I criticize and mock this protest because of all the issues facing this country...Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann seem small. You may disagree with me and let me know...but that's your right as an American.

[baldguy]

1. "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

That used to ba as American a sediment as you could get - not anymore. The GOP brought it near death & the DLC wants to cut its life support off.

The Pot Bangers are no Progressives.

[H2O Man]

2. I think it was fine.

First, this was actually a exercise of another Amendment 1 right -- the right to assemble -- combined with free speech. The laws regarding the right to assemble are far more restrictive than those regarding free speech. With few exceptions, I am in favor of people organizing and taking part in a public demonstration, even if I disagree with them.

In this case, I do not share the beliefs of those people who were demonstrating. I think that, just as in any political contest, we can break the general public into three groupd here: those who agree with the demonstrators, those who disagree with them, and the undecided.

Those who are "undecided" then can be viewed as in one of two groups: those who are aware of the demonstration, and those who are not. Of those who are aware of it, those who are interested in it may be moved to watch MSNBC if they already do not. I am fully confident that the majority of people who fit that description will watch Chris M, David S, and Keith O, and come away finding them to be providing valuable programing.

I also think that by their engaging in a public demonstration, they may encourage other people to do the same. I thnk that orderly, lawful public demonstrations are a good thing.