Discharge Petition For The Broadcaster Freedom Act [Updated]
By Steve Foley Posted in Policy — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Update: Check to see if your congressman has signed
Congressmen Mike Pence and Greg Walden will be collecting signatures today and tomorrow for a “discharge petition” to bring an up or down vote to the House floor on “The Broadcaster Freedom Act”
The Broadcaster Freedom Act is an effort to commit the Fairness Doctrine to the ash heap of history!
This is obviously a very important piece of legislation that must be supported for a myriad of reasons best of which is that the so-called Fairness Doctrine isn’t fair, to either party!
I realize that the liberal idea of fair and equal time is the The Daily Show followed by the The Colbert Report one completely liberal and the other mocking conservatives. Or maybe Alan Shore and Denny Crane But the fairness doctrine rule was for a time where broadcast stations were few and people didn’t have the access to information they do today!
We all know the Media in general, the News Media, Hollywood, the Print Press, and Academia all lean heavily to the left already so beside, AM radio and Fox News Channel, the imbalance I see still teeters left. Alas, I know better than to bring common sense and facts into this debate...
Read On...
Today Mike Pence reiterated his stance on this issue in a bloggers conference call I was fortunate enough to be a part of saying “I don’t think freedom is a partisan issue”
Here are the Congressman’s thoughts on this issue: There is Nothing Fair about the Fairness Doctrine
"The American people love a fair fight, especially where the issues of the day are debated. In a free market, fairness should be determined based upon equal opportunity, not equal results. As some voices are calling for Congress to enforce their idea of ‘fairness’ upon the American people, it would be good for us to proceed with caution whenever some would achieve their ‘fairness’ by limiting the freedom of others.
"Beginning in 1949, the Federal Communications Commission and its precursor developed and enforced the so-called Fairness Doctrine. The Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to present controversial issues in a fair and balanced manner. However, because of the lack of clarity in the Commission’s ruling, broadcasters opted to offer non-controversial programming in lieu of hours of paperwork or countless legal fees.
"Thankfully, the FCC began to overturn its own ruling on the Fairness Doctrine in 1985. And, following that change in policy by the FCC and President Reagan’s veto of attempts to reinstate it, the results have been dramatic. The lifting of the Fairness Doctrine has opened the public airwaves to free and vigorous discussion of controversial issues by individuals of all political stripes.
-Snip-
"John F. Kennedy stated, ‘We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
So, again, I urge all of you to pick up the phone, fax, and or email your Congressperson and encourage them to sign the discharge petition for an "up or down vote" on The Broadcaster Freedom Act!
Liberal Tolerance needs to be dragged out from under its rock and exposed to the light of day once and for all.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
...getting much attention?
Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Senior writer for The Hinzsight Report
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About the Author
Lord Vegas is a true American. some would call him a Mutt, but he prefers the term mixed breed. He listens to Rush Limbaugh and believes Hannity is a Great American!