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Started by Peter Kahn
Fri, 18 Dec 1992 05:45
Free Speech, Howard Stern, John Silber
Author: Peter Kahn
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 05:45
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 05:45
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Recently Howard stern, the radio "personality," has received unrivalled publicity and a large fine from the FCC due to his use of "indecent" language over the air waves. Very Recently Dr. Silber, BU's illustrious president, has lept on the band wagon of people calling for the end of this speech. I just heard him on Koppel's Nightline show and he seemed to make 2 main points: 1. Children can hear this and it poses a clear & present danger due to this. 2. Radio is funamentally different from the written word due to its accessibility and therefore speech over the air waves deserves less constitutional protect. What do you think? Do people like Howard Stern, George Carlin, or even Andrew Dice Clay have the right to be on the airwaves? I concur with Justics Brennan and Marshall in there dissent in the FCC v. Pacifica case of 1978. 1. Since people can change the station and that it takes very little effort there is not a significant threat of exposure of this "indecent" material to warrant banning this speech. 2. America is made of many cultures. And many "do not share their [The supreme court's] fragile sensibilities." Some people like Howard Stern, and some parents have no problem with their children listening to this type of humor and actually encourage it. I myself do not like Howard, but in my home this type of humor was never sensored. The home, the parents or the adult listeners are the one to make the choice of listening or not listening, not the state. To let the state have this choice would be to force the various cultures of America to bend to the will of the dominant white gentrified culture which is racism in institutional action. It is a bit of a mixture of my opinion and that of the Justices, but if you have an opinion on either side of this issue, I really recommend you read the decission. It is only 10 pages at a maximum and both sides make clear cases for their point. And as for myself, I feel this is just another example of how Mr. Silber fails to understand the fundamentals of democracy and American history. -- ---------------------------- --- Peter Kahn ------ ---- Peterk@IGC.ORG ----- ----------------------------
Re: Free Speech, Howard Stern, John Sil
Author: Daniel Sklarew
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 20:33
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 20:33
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It should also be said that Boston U. President Silber has shown himslef to be quite a proponent of censorship, whether of crass humorists, or of homosexual activists (quote in Boston Globe Editorial of late Nov, or early Dec '92). Meanwhile, despite concern for quenching multi-culturalism, I'm not sure I agree completely with Peter with respect to radio as a free medium which is easily filtered by adults in a family househoild. How many parents actually tune in to the audio-drugs which their children plug into their brains via walkman headphones? (Sidepoint: see Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451 for an interesting premonition of the role that headphones, which he called "Denham's dentifrice," now plays in American denial syndromes.) I must say that it would be near impossible for a parent to vigilently restrict his/her children from tuning in to whatever they wanted. Unlike Cable, one cannot cancel subscription to the Howard Stearns channel, nor do radio producers find it in their best interest to put him on the air late at night when all good little boys and girls are supposed to be asleep. NOOOOO! Howard Stearns thrives on the racist, sexist, homophobic, and all-around prejudice of the "white-male," threatened by a changing society. Consequ- ently, he feeds these fears and insecurities by reaffirming that his target audience is still in control of ONE thing - denegrating everyone else! (Where did that word denegrating come from, anyways?) I personally was disgusted to find his appeal such that ANY station would consider put- ting him on a morning show, so that station flippers hearnig forced laughter might tune in just long enough to eject their morning cereal and coffee. I could only hope that they do not get caught en route to droppong their children off at school when they discover this morning ZOO. Parents cannot possibly filter all channels of media for their children, nor should they. Nonetheless, media, like parents, should practice decency and respect, so that childrena dn adults alike can feel secure in their environ- ment. Dann Sklarew no signature
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