The lowdown on your 1st amendment rights

[JitterbugPerfume]

my handy dandy pocket constitution states:

Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion,or prohibiting the exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press,or the right of people to peaceably assemble,and to petition the Government for a redress of grievance.

Only the Government can deny you the right of free speech.

Not me, or any other Duer or blogger

Not Skinner

Not the annoying neighbor

JUST the Government

Get a copy of the constitution

Read it , know it.

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. I have never done this before but

:kick:


people need to read this. It is important.

[hlthe2b]

2. Well, Skinner can certainly restrict your DU freedom of speech

and your neighbor can do so in their home or property by requiring you to leave. The constitution restricts the government from doing so, not commercial or private enterprises--a common misconception...

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. This is a private - not govt run - message board

Skinner can do anything he wants. It's not a violation of free speech.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. the First Amendment is about government's role in a person's life

A person who attends a play, for example, can't get up in the middle of it and start yelling that they don't like the production without expecting to be ejected from the theater. I can't imagine a fundamentalist church allowing me to stay if I explained the basics of Sufism during a worship service. And Freepers who come here to disrupt or to post things like GW Bush is the Second Coming will be booted off the board. Why? Because all these places are private institutions, and as such have a right to limit speech.

[The_Commonist]

5. Not quite sure what you're saying here.

It looks like you've got it upside-down.

[JitterbugPerfume]

6. what do you think is upside down?

I copied it right out of my pocket constitution. The first amendment protects us from the Government, not each other. Skinner owns the Democratic Underground . He is a private citizen , so as far as Du goes his word is law.

There are other laws that protect us from one another, like yelling FIRE in a crowded theater because that is speech that presents a danger to other peoples rights .

The ninth amendment says that you can't use any right to deny or disparage other rights

That is all.

[The_Commonist]

7. You say...

"Only the Government can deny you the right of free speech.

Not me, or any other Duer or blogger

Not Skinner

Not the annoying neighbor

JUST the Government"


No... the government CANNOT deny you the right of free speech.
Skinner CAN.

That's why I said you've got it upside-down.

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. you can say anything you like

you just can't be a disrupter on a website Skinner owns , just like you can't come into my home and insult me without being asked to leave.

I am by no means implying that you are a disrupter.

[JitterbugPerfume]

9. I am just saying

the constitution protects us from Government interference, but not from our fellow citizens. How else could Rush Limbaugh and the likes of him exist?

Maybe he is not a good example since he borders on treason.


Bottom line, speech on DU is not protected by the constitution