BlackRipleyDog

Any Takers?

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rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I'm not sure of the implication presented here. Perhaps you'd care to state your interpretation.
--Bob

BlackRipleyDog

It's obvious isn't it? You expand on it Bob.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

If it was obvious, I wouldn't have asked. But, since you asked, I'm going to assume that the issue being pointed out, erroneously, is that Facebook is censoring certain commentary. This due to the logo and the start of The Constitution. So, let's start by stating what The First Ammendment says,

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The part most pertinent to this is the statement, "...or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...".

Now, the mistaken part of the cartoon, which is why I asked and you failed to reply, is that Facebook is not Congress. The First Amendment limits what Congress can do. It places no restriction on the public or public companies.
--Bob

BlackRipleyDog

So I as a private citizen I can do anything I want to abridge your right to free speech? I can prevent you access to banking if I were in positions of authority in that sector? I can form a advocacy group to bring pressure to your employer to fire you for your political views since I am not government? I can also exert pressure to firms that support your online presence to have you taken off the web?

DennyT Loc: Central Missouri woods

How did you feel about hobby lobby issue ?

BlackRipleyDog

How do you feel about the "Sisters of Mercy" being faced with the same gun to their heads?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Using a broad brush, yes, you can. For example, let's say you own a business and I enter your business wearing a tee shirt with an obscenity blazoned on the front. You can ask me to leave, as my behavior isn't within the limits set by your company.

Sure you can form an advocacy group and petition an employer to fire me. How successful you'll be is questionable. However, let me point out that there have been several police officers who have been fired for statements they posted on social media. Additionally, if my public behavior is judged to be detrimental to the reputation of the company for which I work, I can be fired for that public behavior. I'm not sure about being banned from social media resulted from their behavior but their means of earning a living was certainly hampered.

In fact, I was asked to take my bank account elsewhere due to a respectful but forceful confrontation with a teller over a bank's policy. Incidentally, the teller was in error and had lied to me with what I was told but that didn't make a difference in the bank's request for me to take my money elsewhere.

In some cases, you don't have to form an advocasy group. In the case of Facebook, if one violates their stated standards, they can be banned for a period of time or prohibited from posting again. But, that's Facebook and not the government.

One has to view the reasons for the Bill of Rights being placed as an addendum to The Constitution. Those rights were not being granted or recognized by King George and our founding fathers felt them to be absolutely necessary in the formation of a new nation.

Obviously, there are a lot of gray areas and there are probably numerous SCOTUS decisions and writings on the topic. So, overall statements probably hold some t***h.
However, SCOTUS rulings may affect some based on an individual case somewhere along the line.
--Bob

skylane5sp Loc: Puyallup, WA

Except when those private companies are given special treatment in the form of legislation that was supposed to prevent exactly what is happening now.

BlackRipleyDog

Having standards is one thing but they only matter if rigorously applied evenhandedly. Twitter and Facebook turned themselves into a pretzels to ban Trump by essentially putting out statements that were not really the case. But last week, when confronted with the actual the dissemination of child porn on their site, Twitter said "No violations of our standards". Now, you tell me they are not just making it up as they go?

travelwp Loc: New Jersey

I would simply say: "our company policy requires us to add an additional 45% charge for customers who show up with obscenity tee shirts; how can I help you?"

National Park

But you won't because you are a capitalist!

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

I hope you won't be offended, but I commend you on your post.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

But you fail to mention the exception of the cake decorators who were compelled by govt. to give up their freedom of religion and association.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

That's the size of it - in a half generation🤮😱🤐