Happy Constitution Day! · 17 September 08
Here’s something to chew on as you celebrate Constitution Day.
A State of the First Amendment 2008 study by the First Amendment Center on the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville found that most people think we have too many freedoms. Some people would even accept limits on free speech and a free press.
According to the study, 66 percent of those surveyed said the government should be able to require TV broadcasters to offer equal time to opposing viewpoints, something that hasn’t happened since 1987, when the Federal Communications Commission abolished the Fairness Doctrine.
Another 62 percent say the same fairness standard should apply to newspapers, even though that would clearly violate the First Amendment.
• 39 percent said cable and satellite TV should be subject to the same regulation as over-the-air broadcasters.
• 31 percent said musicians should not be allowed to sing lyrics that others might find offensive.
Most people knew that the First Amendment covered the freedom of speech, but only 3 percent knew about the “petition” part of the amendment. Only 20 percent knew the amendment applied to religion, press or the freedom of assembly.
The survey was released Wednesday, Sept. 17. It can be found on on the Web at www.firstamendmentcenter.org.
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