December 24, 2013

L.A. Times columnist connects Gov. Scott Walker to Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson.

There must be a way to do that, right?
Like the “Duck Dynasty” dispute, or the recent fight over renaming a Florida school honoring a founder of the KKK, the Wisconsin fight raises the question of among some people as to whether there is a blanket protection of speech, even when it is hateful to some people....

The Wisconsin law, signed by Walker,  amends a 2010 state law that required Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction to hold a hearing on a school's race-based nickname if the agency received a single complaint. The 2010 law placed the burden on the school district of proving the nickname wasn't discriminatory.

22 comments:

YoungHegelian said...

Has the press grown so ideologically turgid that don't even want to think about what problems the Heckler's Veto presents not just to our 1st Amendment Rights, but to their own livelihoods?

If folks get their way by claiming that their precious & sensitive little feelings have been all hurt, then everyone starts doing it. Free thought just shuts down, because almost anything that's worth saying is going to piss off somebody.

B said...

"The 2010 law placed the burden on the school district of proving the nickname wasn't discriminatory."

That seems like an impossible standard to meet.

Bob Boyd said...

I suggest a compromise.
For every sports team called the 'Vaginas' there shall be also a sports team called the 'Anuses'.

OK? Good.
Now let's have Christmas.

Oh shit...wait...I mean let's have a holiday.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...

L.A. Times columnist connects Gov. Scott Walker to Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson.
There must be a way to do that, right?


Well, they both look up and see the same moon in the sky, so there's that.

Unknown said...

If speech did not offend someone, it would not need 1st Amendment protections. No pnw would care.

David Blaska said...

If the governor hadn't signed the bill, I would have found someone in DeForest to protest the Norsemen and a troublemaker in Stoughton to kvetch about the Vikings.

gadfly said...

Since the name "Wisconsin" is the Americanization of the historic French language interpretation of the Indian name for the largest river in the state, Wisconsinites need to first consider renaming the state "Meskousing" before beating up the 30 schools in the state that use "offensive" names like "Indians" and "Chieftains."

Non-Indians have no say about the overarching laws that govern the seven Indian (oops Native American) reservations in the state - so why do the reservation dwellers have sole rights to determine what is and what is not offensive use of English language words?

Mascot names correspond to team pride and spirit - not to team denigration. So where can there possibly be a civil rights violation? Personally, I think that the historic and continued treatment of American Indians as sub-humans under our laws needs to stop - but mascot names are not even symptoms of that problem.

CWJ said...

YoungHegelian said -

"Has the press grown so ideologically turgid that don't even want to think about what problems the Heckler's Veto presents not just to our 1st Amendment Rights, but to their own livelihoods?"

The answer to your question is that many HAVE thought about it and adjusted their writing accordingly.

All want approval and advancement.

traditionalguy said...

Scot Walker needs a beard, He is going bald so he needs all the hair he can grow.

damikesc said...

the Wisconsin fight raises the question of among some people as to whether there is a blanket protection of speech, even when it is hateful to some people....

So...would the writer object to pro-homosexual material being banned since it is hateful to some people?

How deep does the heckler's veto go?

Michael K said...

Well, I had to look here t see what's in the LA Times. Poor Times. No readers except blogs in other states.

Big Mike said...

L.A. Times columnist connects Gov. Scott Walker to Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Skeptical Voter said...

When I saw the words LA Times columnist, I immediately thought about that useless idiot. Michael Hiltzik. The subject of this column is about his speed. But apparently two villages have lost their idiots.

I frankly don't see much of a problem with the law--at least as I understand it. If someone comes to a school superintendent saying that they've got their knickers in a knot and are "offended" about this or that, a single individual's complaint will not require action. The complainant will have to show that some significant number of others are similarly offended before action is required.

What's wrong with that? We used to get up petitions to address authority with our grievances. Now some believe that a lone heckler has the right to mandate change for all.

Now it may well be that some wise single visionary can see the correct path for all to follow. But in my experience such individuals are damned thin on the ground.

Strelnikov said...

Obvious axis of evil.

Illuninati said...

To the left truth is irrelevant. It doesn't matter whether there is any connection between Phil Robertson and Scott Walker. The left depends on smears and lies to achieve power over other people and to reprogram them into their way of group think.

Drago said...


"L.A. Times columnist connects Gov. Scott Walker to Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson."

What took them so long?

Drago said...

YoungHegelian: "Has the press grown so ideologically turgid that don't even want to think about what problems the Heckler's Veto presents not just to our 1st Amendment Rights, but to their own livelihoods?"

These are leftists.

They are happy to offer up their livelihoods in service to the state.

This is sort of a "duh" moment and, since leftists don't actually believe a single thing they lecture the rest of us about, also requires a "Fen's Law" callout.

traditionalguy said...

Robertson and Scott are both white men from the Scots-Irish culture {a/k/a Amuricans} and as such accept whatever race, color and nationality is willing to adopt the rules of Scot-Irish community IS FULLY ACCEPTED.

They are charged with not knowing about bigotry, and they don't because they don't practice it.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

"Recent fight over renaming a Florida school honoring a founder of the KKK."

Fight? Nathan Bedford Forrest High School in Jacksonville, Florida was so named in 1959. The school board voted unanimously to rename it in November.

iowan2 said...

So when is this school going to get renamed?

As long as Grand Wizards are now out of fasion.

http://www.harcoboe.com/robertcbyrdhighschool/

Sam vfm #111 said...

What is wrong with naming a school after Nathan Bedford Forrest? He was a good Democrat and that should over rule any other consideration. Besides, Democrat Robert Byrd, who was the longest-serving U.S. Senator and filibustered against the 1964 Civil Rights Act, was a member of the KKK.

Michael The Magnificent said...

From: Civil Rights Act of 1964

"Most Democrats from the Southern states opposed the bill and led an unsuccessful 83-day filibuster, including Senators Albert Gore, Sr. (D-TN) and J. William Fulbright (D-AR), as well as Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who personally filibustered for 14 hours straight."