Double Standard about 1st amendment right of speech?
Isiah Washington was released from Greys Anotomy for stating that he's nobody's punk. Jessie Jackson made a remark about Jews and was not considered for public office. Al Sharpton thought a little girl was raped and accused white guys and was wrong and never has been forgiven. Well all 3 of these people had to pay for what they said. You don't hear many black people defending them. So why did so many people make a big deal out of Don Imus losing his job. It's the same exact situation but it's OK to some for him to say stupid things about others race. I believe everyone should be held to the same standard. People like Dave Chappel and Chris Rock are never derogatory towards white people like Micheal Richards was about blacks. If you can find a time when they were then please stat it to me. What is your opinion on why some people are allowed to say racist statements but others are not. Being racist is when you degrade anothers person because of race. Chappel, Pryor and Rock don't degrade
Update:I believe people were correct in holding Jackson, Sharpton, and Washington accountable so don't get me wrong. I feel as mature adults we should hold everyone no matter what the race accountable when they degrade people. Especially some nice young ladies.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
The First Amendment does not say that you have the right to say anything you want. It says that the Federal Government will not be allowed to pass laws to restrict your rights.
All people have an equal right to liberty. When someone "outs you," which can have a significant impact on your career (even today), your liberty has been impinged upon. Your rights cannot override the rights of another.
That's what "All Men are created equal" means. It's not that all people have the same abilities, or anything like that. It means that each person has an equal right to liberty and free expression...which means that your right cannot be greater than the rights of someone else.
You are deluded if you think that Michael Richards and Don Imus did not face repercussions for their statements.
Trevor S - I would love for you to back that statement up with any shred of logic.
I would contend that capitalism discourages racism. When a person's own money is on the line, I would guess that he or she would be far more willing to hire a person of any race or creed if that person was going to make them more money.
i think of its absurd because of the fact not everybody is married with the help of the bible. I for one am not christian and that i don't plan to be ever I advise are they going to restrict non christian marriages too? once I get married my vows wont be each and every of the til demise do you area and in richer or for poorer..I wont vow to something yet my own provides. i think of marriage is a private element a private determination. the government can not say what the sanctity of marriage is by using the fact the sanctity of marriage is purely love. the only element i'd be against is incest because of the fact its purely not suited yet i can not say Im against gay marriage. Does the government think of with the help of banning this that gays will pass away? i think of further and extra human beings tend to return out as time progresses and with further and extra tolerance in society we are able to be certain that the gay inhabitants is incredibly substantial. faith has no place in political agendas. we are actually not a dictatorship and we've maximum of religions and cultural variations in our united states of america that would desire to be respected. we are able to't be dictating very own alternatives. I do have faith inspite of the indisputable fact that like maximum of different issues that have been conquer this in time would be too.
they don't qualify for the first amendment. it applies only when the government is involved.
so imus's fcc violation counts (because the fcc is part of the federal government), but washington leaving grey's anatomy is irrelevant.
There should be no double standard. What's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong regardless of who says it about whom.
Only here on Yahoo.
Works both ways. It is sad.
What are you doing to help stop it?
It's because racism has its roots in capitalism.
"You can't have capitalism without racism and you cannot have racism without capitalism." -- Malcolm X
-------------------------------------------
Articles found with a quick Google search:
http://www.socialistworker.org/2002-2/431/431_08_R...
http://www.bolshevik.org/1917/no12/no12capitalisma...
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jul2004/csby-j14...
http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/apr1998/mlk-a4.shtml