Contrary to popular opinion, individual freedom of expression does not exist in the United States. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution only protects the opinions of citizens from persecution by the government. There is no freedom of speech in the schools or in business.
Speak out of line at work, and you may soon be out of a job without a paycheck to buy food or pay rent.
Defy a teacher by saying something that disrupts the learning environment, and you may find yourself in trouble and removed from the classroom or school.
Bully someone on the Internet, and you may end up in court and then in jail.
Slander someone publicly and get sued.
It’s easy to imagine a bumper sticker saying, “Go Ahead and Make My Day. Slander Me in Public and on the Internet.”
In addition, if you believe the American media is pure of heart and honest to a “T” since it is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, you are mistaken and out of touch with reality.
Cornell University Law School says, The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. [that is it!]”
In addition, nowhere does it say anything about honesty and accuracy in reporting the news or expressing opinions. However, the United States attempted to remedy this with the Fairness Doctrine in 1949, which died under President Reagan and when President George H. W Bush threatened to veto the Fairness Doctrine if Congress attempted to bring it back.
I majored in journalism and earned a BA in that field. I then taught high school journalism in addition to English. Over the years, I learned that what the media reports is rife with mistakes and bias. In fact, soon after President Reagan vetoed and killed the Fairness Doctrine, conservative talk radio was born, which is 100% biased and often misleading.
Continued on July 11, 2012 in The meaning of Democracy’s Freedoms and the Nature of the Western Media Beast – Part 3 or return to Part 1
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of The Concubine Saga. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.
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Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse 
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