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TagsBY GINA G. SCALA
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
COMMENTARY
Why is it when an individual voices an unpopular opinion it is considered a rant? For example, conservative, controversial radio personality Rush Limbaugh’s comments Monday that President Barrack Obama hates America.
His latest comments stem from the president and Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren suggesting government investments in education, infrastructure and law enforcement help contribute to corporate profits, according to the NY Daily News.
And as the Huffington Post reports today, it’s not the first time Limbaugh has taken this stance.
Right or wrong; conservative or liberal; freedom of speech is an inherent right in this country. And because of that, Limbaugh can say, "I think it can now be said, without equivocation - without equivocation - that this man hates this country. He is trying - Barack Obama is trying - to dismantle, brick by brick, the American Dream."
Criticizing the government and encouraging unpopular thoughts people find repugnant or in contrast to public policy are nearly always protected under the First Amendment. Of course, there are some exceptions, including child pornography laws and inciting imminent lawlessness.
Limbaugh has been honing his skills as a political commenter for 45 years. His opinion, unpopular with many but agreeable to others, is just that. He gets paid to be controversial, as do liberal political commentators.
But even if he didn’t get paid, Americans since 1787 have been guaranteed the right to speak freely. You don’t have to like; you just need to accept it.
Every day there is something objectionable on the Internet, the television and the radio or in a newspaper or a magazine. Whether a person reads it, watches it, or listens to it, it is a personal choice.
Politics is a personal choice, too. With four months to go to the Presidential Election, there’s a good chance both sides are going to get A LOT more personal. Who wins might not be decided at the polls, but rather, who can withstand the mudslinging and still look in the mirror at night.
