Is this how freedom dies?

Not unexpectedly, the gloves have come off in the Presidential campaign as Senator McCain continues to fall in the polls. Attacks on Senator Obama have gotten nastier, but that is part of politics. What I find worrisome is the attack on the press. The McCain camp seems intent on killing the messengers.

I speak of a recent rally in Florida where Governor Palin pretty much turned a mob against reporters covering a rally by blaming Katie Couric's "tough" questions for her less than stellar interview, and not her own incompetence. Next thing you know, the mob has turned on the press waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse.

What is wrong with these people? Don't they understand freedom of the press is one of the elements of our liberty? Government officials inspiring a mob to turn on reporters in the US? This is beyond getting ugly, this is the GOP turning against the freedom of the press. This is how freedom dies.

Springtime for Hitler and Germany

I love Mel Brooks' The Producers, in which Broadway producers fail in an attempt to lose money to make money when the complete flop they finance, "Springtime for Hitler," turns out to be a hit, despite the play's trivializing of Nazi Germany. Like Hogan's Heroes, the 1960s TV comedy that took place in a Nazi POW camp, Brooks managed to to mine a horrible historical event into some funny. When done correctly, these type of programs can humor and not offend people. When done incorrectly it can invoke fear and hatred, allowing bigots to exploit their hatred.

Recently, in NYC, a Jewish Parks Department worker was offended when he walked into a break room and saw his co-workers conducting a Nazi skit. The article fails to mention whether the skit was a parody as in The Producers, or something more ignorant, such as the Black to the Future skit in Queens 10 years ago, produced by NYC police and fire department officers, that parodied a then recent dragging death of a black man. Somehow, I suspect it was the later. Interestingly, the police officers, who were initially fired by the Mayor when news of the skit made the news (and this was before the YouTube era), were initially re-instated on First Amendment grounds as they did the parody on their own time in a public place, before being fired once again as a higher court ruled that the city was able to fire them as unfit for duty due to the perception they were violating the public trust with their racist act, despite the First Amendment. Some might be tempted to defend the nazi parks department workers on the same First Amendment grounds and argue that parks department workers should not be held to the same speech standards as emergency responders.

However, this was not about free speech, it is about a hostile workplace. The employee felt threatened by his co-workers' action, making for a hostile workplace and, if the sources quoted in the article are accurate, it appears their employer, the Parks Department, agrees. If you want to dress like a Nazi, do it on your own property and on your own time, not your employer's property. Of course, if your employer is the City of NY, or some other government entity, you may have to worry about a perception of a violation of the public trust, but I suspect that racist parks department workers aren't as much a concern as racist police and fire department workers, whose job it is to protect and not harm the public. Freedom of speech applies to the government, not employers (even if they have happen to be the government). Once offensive speech crosses into the workplace, there is going to be a problem.

As to the other ignorant comments associated with the article: I would hope those posters are just trolling but I suspect not. This type of bigotry is not unique to Staten Island. It happens all over the NYC metropolitan area and not just to Jews (just ask some of your minority associates). I suspect this happens all across the country as well. The one thing they all have in common is a basic xenophobic hatred that the actors attempt to camouflage in freedom of speech. This was not a First Amendment issue; it was a hate issue, it was a bullying issue and, since the victim was forced to be transferred, it is more.

One thing for sure, the parks department workers were pretty stupid to do a Hitler parody in a break room on their employer's property. In this day and age, one would think it would be common sense for employees to know they would do best to keep their personal views to themselves. I don't know the intent of the parks department employees so I can't judge without more evidence of whether they thought they were being funny with a co-worker (for all we know it could've been an ongoing joking insult thing that got out of hand) or something more; though since the Jewish employee felt insulted enough to complain and argument can be made that it was the later (if it walks, swims and quacks like a duck it is usually a duck, even if called a dog). However, at the least, these employees really need to read the section of their employee handbook regarding tolerance.

F is for freedom of speech

I was watching one of George Carlin's old HBO specials this weekend when Carlin touched on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and freedom of speech. He pointed out that under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the government may not regulate what is said, except for some obvious exceptions like screaming "fire" in a theater. Oh, and one other exception: the FCC.

Yep that's right, the FCC, a bunch of appointed friends of whoever is President can tell me what I can and can not listen to. These milk drinkers get to decide whether a dirty word, or seven, or image, based on their own opinion on what their community of standards is, is too horrible for me to look at. And many in our nanny state nation scream this is ok because we need to think of the children (heh, bet you thought I was going to link to the Simpsons). I don't know about that, I've heard more cursing from 8th graders at the mall then from my 30 something friends playing poker with a bad hand while whatever home team game we have on the tube (usually Knicks, Devils, Rangers etc as we tend to play more in winter) is getting clobbered.

If I don't want to listen to, or have my son listen to, raunchy material I have a very easy remedy: I change the station. Oh no, a parent being a parent!!! How will we survive without the government telling us what to do? Look, I enjoy adult programming but, as my children have gotten old old enough to understand what is being said or shown on TV, I've had to make adjustments. My morals, at least why my children are up, are actually much stricter then community standards allow. I no longer watch much network TV as I find the shows too raunchy. But that doesn't mean I get to tell other adults what they can or can not watch. What it does mean is that in lieu of patronizing sponsors of network TV I patronize sponsors of the many family friendly cable networks that have popped up to meet the needs of people like me. American capitalism at it's best.

Therefore, I find it so ironic that the Republican part controlled FCC wants to tell me what I can or can not watch. Aren't the Republicans supposed to be into less government? You know, keep government away from citizens' private decisions? Didn't we fight a revolution to allow us to do just that? Aren't you annoyed that the FCC is taking away your freedom of choice and wants to continue to do so, even if you are willing to pay for the privilege? I know I am.

Now you may think who cares I don't listen to Carlin or Howard Stern. And that's understandable, yet you also need to look at the slippery slope we're on. How long until the FCC decides that something you do want to hear is too filthy for your ears, such as the President is a crook? Maybe they decide that a newspaper hostile to the current administration is filthy. Maybe they decide a blog is. Oh, wait, this isn't broadcast, it is the written word and should be safe. Yeah, just like porn (limited to recordings between consenting human adults) is protected free speech on the internet -- for now.

Just something to think about as we celebrate our 232nd birthday this week.