Free Speech v. Boycotts

Free Speech v. Boycotts

A blogger wieghs in on the Kos kerfuffle.

Someday people will learn that FREE SPEECH and any violation thereof applies ONLY to the GOV'T and NEVER to PRIVATE CITIZENS who call someone on the carpet for saying (or doing) something stupid, wrong, reprehensible, evil, what have you.

What follows is the text of my comment on his post.

Why I don't raise money for politicians

I think no one should boycott anyone.

When Jesse Jackson calls for a boycott of someone for saying something reprehensible and racist, do you feel that the person who made the racist comment is having their "right to free speech" assaulted? Or do you feel that a private citizen is trying to mobilize people of like mind to convince advertisers (and other monetary supporters) to abandon the cretin?

This is the marketplace at work, guys. Sometimes it goes against the left, sometimes the right, sometimes the center. . . .

This time it was someone on the left who said something reprehensible and he was called on the carpet for it. As it should be.

If a bunch of lefties wanted to block Instapundit or Andy Sullivan, I'd be just as vociferious in defending their right to free speech.

When will people come to understand that FREE SPEECH is about the GOVERNMENT taking away your right to say something.

It has NOTHING to do with a private citizen (e.g. Michael Friedman) calling for what amounts to a boycott of someone else (e.g. Kos). Even if they do so in a particularly public way.

If The Heritage Foundation was truly supporting someone who says nuking Iraq is a good idea (it's not if you read the whole article btw), then I would expect and encourage the left to go after them. It would not be an abridgement of free speech but exactly the opposite - free speech in action.

What I find so silly, or outrageous, is that after a few e-mails . . . Democratic candidates ran like little bitches. . . . Hell, if they had investigated the situation, they would have found out the worst thing about the guy is that he's a Cubs fan . . . .

So saying to these murdered, mutilated veterans "screw 'em" is not as bad as being a Cubs fan? Funny. But not true.

The Dems realized that they did not want to be associated with that sentiment and I applaud them on their quick dissociation from such a vile comment.

Do I count as a right-wing troll or not?