Do we really have freedom of speech?

Question

Hello there,

If we have freedom of speech then why can some radio stations ban songs from their station or bleep out the words? I mean I don't like every single song i listen to having a cuss word but if we really do have freedom of speech wouldn't that be violating an artists right? Where is the line drawn?

Just a thought...

Hugs and Kisses,

HeartBreaker

Answer 1

Freedom of speech prohibits the government and agencies of the government from preventing people from speaking in public - it has no influence on the private sector.  A private company can ban whatever they want, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to listen to them.

Answer 2

The radio stations are owned by corporations, not the government (what is this, China?) so they can censor whatever they want.

Some people would find it offensive and they would lose listeners if they didn't censor cursing. So they do. It's a business.

Yaay capitalism!

Answer 3

We have increasingly limited freedom of speech. censorship is gaining ground more and more.  

Answer 4

We do not.  I am not allowed to be a democrat in church or in public where i live without horrible consequences.  Seems like i have to hide it or be accused of being anti american or satanist.

Answer 5

We do have freedom of speech, but it is not unlimited. Among other limitations, you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater, you can't publish knowing lies about someone, you can't broadcast language deemed to be offensive. The FCC regulates what is broadcast, and can prohibit certain language and images under the allowable restrictions.

As to violating the artists' rights, that isn't being done. the artists can still say what they want in their songs. Those CDs can be played at home or in clubs. There is no specific right that your song will be played in an unaltered form on the radio.

Answer 6

You bet we do. In Russia Putin is killing journalists at a rate of 30 per year according to the few who disagree with him and gotten out alive.

In Canada, if you offend a Muslim, you go before an unelected tribunal with the power of law, who just recently sentenced a Priest to denounce his religious teachings.

In Europe, the Swiss have imprisoned priests for disagreeing with Muslims and in our own allied nation of Britain they are now forcing local governments to recognize and abide by Ramadan.  

If you think we don't have freedom of speech, just visit the socialist utopias our leftist friends would have us emulate.  

Answer 7

its a balance.  I am not suggesting that this is where i like the balance now, but it is nice to know that i can turn on the radio and not have to worry about what my 3 year old daughter might hear.  

Answer 8

The supreme court has ruled that some speech can be restricted. You can't slander someone, can't scream in a library, can't use obscenities on public airways, can't make threats.

The basic rights of free speech still stand.

Answer 9

True. Probably some indecency laws. I think restricting Americans makes us more obsessed with s*x and stuff...just look at the magazines and rock stars... If no one cared it probably wouldn't be as relevant and people wouldn't pay any mind to the idiots who put out indecent c**p.