Michael Koby

Last week an outrage occured over the suspension of satellite radio shock jocks, Opie and Anthony over similar content to what got Imus canceled.  I’m sure some special interest groups are sitting back in their chairs sipping some kind non-alcoholic beverage and giving each other high fives.  However, they could not be more wrong in these kinds of activities.

I do not agree with the content produced by most shock jocks.  This is certainly not limited to Imus, O&A, or even Mr. Stern.  I find most of the content degrading and not to mention rude.  However, I also believe in something that most people forget when they attack and get people like the shock jocks suspended or fired, that belief is in something called “freedom of speech” and not “freedom of speech as long as I approve” which seems to be the meaning it is taking these days.

The problem stems from those that feel that should police the speaking of others so as not to offend anyone.  You can not say certain words, talk about certain things, or even mention certain kinds of people on radio or television without the possibility of being sued, fired, or suspended.  But there is another type of problem that exists, and that is pay radio.  You see, I believe that public broadcast radio should be censored to some degree, primarily in the language department.  It is very hard to prevent someone from listening to public radio.  There is no way to block a station or even prevent it from being heard all together.  So yes, there should be some standards that need to be followed.  I know that might sound hypocritical, but it is the way I feel.  My problem is that when these interest groups start attack things like satellite radio, radio that people actually pay money to listen to.   You see, once you start paying for it, it is no longer public broadcast and does not fall under the same needs for standards as public radio.

With pay radio, there is something that can be done at the consumer level to set a standard.  That is something is quite simply, don’t pay for it.  If you do not like the content you do not pay for it, if you do not want someone not listening to a certain station, you can block stations on most satellite radio receivers.  So why are Opie & Anthony being suspended?  The answer is quite simple.  The special interest groups have taken over and are going to ensure your radio does not offend anyone.  My problem with this is that when I was paying for Sirius, I was paying for unedited and uncensored music.  I am not always in the mood to hear cussing in my music, especially when my daughter is with me.  You know how I handle this situation?  I change the channel or song (if I’m listening to my iPod).  It is really that simple.

You see, while these special interest groups are working to stop the kind of behavior they find offensive they are slowly eroding the right to freedom of speech.  My issue is that no one is forcing anyone to listen to anything they find offensive, so the issue really should be moot but hey, what do I know I can actually think for myself.

I would like to start by stating that anyone who lost someone close to them today in the horrific Virginia Tech shooting has my condolences.  I feel for your loss and hope that you can find solace in the fact that the killer is now dead.

This was a very huge tragedy and not to mention shock to the nation as well as to the security of our school campuses.  I hope that we can learn from our mistakes and move forward in making our schools safe for students, faculty, and guests.

However, I fear that this incident will be used to further some kind of gun control rhetoric ending in stricter gun laws in not only Virginia but all over the country.  I am sure that there are several people out there who will blame everything but the actual killer (or the killers parents for not instilling the shooter with a better sense of right and wrong), including (but probably not limited to) guns, video games, and even angry music.  But, it should be noted that a person pulled the trigger of that gun today, and the gun did not walk around a campus and kill 32 innocent people for what seems like no reason.  No, that was a human being, someone with a brain that was capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong.  A human being that made a decision to pick up a deadly weapon and use it.

Again, I pray for the souls of those lost today as well as the families they leave behind.  This is a tragedy, and I will not argue it any other way.  This was a travesty of an event and should be remembered for decades to come.  I, however, do not wish to see this tragedy be used to further the propaganda of those that wish to remove rights granted in the constitution of our country.