# Dr. Laura wants her first amendment rights back... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 18, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594 "2010-08-18T01:27:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/1 "2010-08-18T01:27:38Z")
Dr. Laura just announced on Larry King that she is quitting at the end of this year. Her reason is that she wants her first amendment rights back. So - if I write to Motel 6 and complain about their sponsorship of her, does that mean I’m infringing on her first amendment rights? If people oppose her and try to get her off the air does that impinge on her freedom of speech? I say no. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/2 "2010-08-18T01:32:54Z")
Do you have a link or anything? I haven’t followed this story closely. I just heard the audio on the local morning radio show. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/3 "2010-08-18T01:33:10Z")
Of course her 1st amendment right to be a douche trumps your 1st amendment right to call her a douche. What are you thinking? Haven’t you been listening? Only “Real Americans” have rights. Are you some sort of Jihadist? Are you? Are you? Shouldn’t this be in the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/4 "2010-08-18T01:35:33Z")
There’s these five important words at the beginning of the 1st Amendment: _Congress shall make no law…_ Are you Congress? Were you created by Congress? Does Congress fund your existence wholly or primarily? If the answer to these questions is no, you cannot violate the 1st Amendment, which restricts **government action** which curtails speech. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/5 "2010-08-18T01:48:00Z")
> [@sinjin](#): > > Of course her 1st amendment right to be a douche trumps your 1st amendment right to call her a douche. What are you thinking? Haven’t you been listening? Only “Real Americans” have rights. Are you some sort of Jihadist? Are you? Are you? > > Shouldn’t this be in the Pit? Well, I didn’t put it in the pit because I didn’t call her all the names running through my mind… Too soon for a LK transcript, but details are here: > **[Dr. Laura ENDING Radio Show](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dr-laura-to-end-radio-sho_n_685652)** > > Dr. Laura ENDING Radio Show ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/6 "2010-08-18T02:08:38Z")
As has already been mentioned no one is violating her First Amendment rights. In fact she should be so lucky that she was able to resign of her own free will instead of being Don Imus-ed over this incident. This is just another example of a conservative playing the victim card and whining about how big, nasty, liberal racists are out to get them. This was a move straight out of the Sarah Palin playbook. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/7 "2010-08-18T02:17:11Z")
Congress passed a law removing Dr. Laura from her radio show? I object! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/8 "2010-08-18T02:19:21Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > There’s these five important words at the beginning of the 1st Amendment: _Congress shall make no law…_ > > Are you Congress? Were you created by Congress? Does Congress fund your existence wholly or primarily? > > If the answer to these questions is no, you cannot violate the 1st Amendment, which restricts **government action** which curtails speech. How about Pruneyard? In _Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins_, 447 U.S. 74 (1980), the US Supreme Court ruled that because the California Constitution gave broad free speech rights even on someone else’s private property, a private mall owner infringed the First Amendment rights of the individuals who wanted to get mall-goers to sign a petition. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/9 "2010-08-18T02:27:15Z")
No no, we have all taken her first amendment rights away. I for one fully support ‘Dr’. Laura’s decision to quit her show. I stand in solidarity with the good doctor and her decision to stop broadcasting. Solely to protect her first amendment rights of course. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/10 "2010-08-18T02:28:51Z")
Once a douche-bag, always a douche-bag, First Amendment rights or no. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/11 "2010-08-18T02:41:15Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > Too soon for a LK transcript, but details are here: > [Dr. Laura To END Radio Show After N-Word Rant | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/dr-laura-to-end-radio-sho_n_685652.html) There’s a link to a second article that quotes what she said. If someone forced her to apologize for that, I’d be agreeing that people are being inordinately unfair to her. She’s definitely not calling anyone an n-word/nigger. She seems to be saying that she thinks the word is overused by black comedians who want to drum up the racial divide. You might not agree with her on that but I can’t say that I see it as being a racist statement, and it is the opening for a fairly interesting conversation. I have no idea who Dr Laura is, so for all I know she’s the most loathsome person on the planet, but if so I can’t say that this seems to be one of those moments. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/12 "2010-08-18T02:42:22Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Once a douche-bag, always a douche-bag, First Amendment rights or no. Not exactly an argument remarkable for its cogent analysis of the First Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/13 "2010-08-18T02:53:12Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@silenus](#): > > > > Once a douche-bag, always a douche-bag, First Amendment rights or no. > > Not exactly an argument remarkable for its cogent analysis of the First Amendment. I’m almost certain that that is a quote of a gloss from Hamilton’s original text of one of the Federalist Papers. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/14 "2010-08-18T03:00:08Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > > [@Bricker](#): > > > > Not exactly an argument remarkable for its cogent analysis of the First Amendment. > > I’m almost certain that that is a quote of a gloss from Hamilton’s original text of one of the Federalist Papers. Those were the ones he signed, “Pubertus” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/15 "2010-08-18T03:07:44Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’m almost certain that that is a quote of a gloss from Hamilton’s original text of one of the Federalist Papers. \ The Bill of Rights was created as a result of the _Anti_-Federalist papers, and which Hamilton opposed. \ ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/16 "2010-08-18T03:09:06Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > > [@pohjonen](#): > > > > Too soon for a LK transcript, but details are here: > > [Dr. Laura To END Radio Show After N-Word Rant | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/dr-laura-to-end-radio-sho_n_685652.html) > > There’s a link to a second article that quotes what she said. If someone forced her to apologize for that, I’d be agreeing that people are being inordinately unfair to her. She’s definitely not calling anyone an n-word/nigger. She seems to be saying that she thinks the word is overused by black comedians who want to drum up the racial divide. You might not agree with her on that but I can’t say that I see it as being a racist statement, and it is the opening for a fairly interesting conversation. > > I have no idea who Dr Laura is, so for all I know she’s the most loathsome person on the planet, but if so I can’t say that this seems to be one of those moments. Hear the entire original interchange here (also has transcript): [http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008120045](http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008120045) Using the n-word use was the least of the offensiveness. The poor lady was too thin-skinned to marry outside her race? And what did any of it have to do with Obama? Give me a break. That said, she’s probably not _THE_ most loathsome person on the planet. Just in the top ten this month. Anyhow, I’m glad she’ll be gone. Maybe there is a god after all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/17 "2010-08-18T03:18:36Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > [http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008120045](http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008120045) > Using the n-word use was the least of the offensiveness. The poor lady was too thin-skinned to marry outside her race? And what did any of it have to do with Obama? Give me a break. Reading through the whole transcript, I’d have to vote that she principally comes across as not all that bright. Her comments didn’t seem to have much to do with the topic at hand, and sufficiently ripe for causing inflammatory responses that she should have realized it. On the other hand, from what I’ve heard of those call-in shrink radio shows, that seems pretty much SOP. She’s probably said something off-topic, stupid, and inflammatory several times a day for the last several decades. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/18 "2010-08-18T03:39:38Z")
This devotion to the first amendment must be a recent thing. She wasn’t too concerned about Bill Ballance’s first amendment rights. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/19 "2010-08-18T03:41:26Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > This devotion to the first amendment must be a recent thing. She wasn’t too concerned about Bill Ballance’s first amendment rights. Who? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594/20 "2010-08-18T03:51:08Z")
She isn’t a shrink. The “Dr.” before her name misleads a lot of people into thinking she is. Her degree is in biology. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-laura-wants-her-first-amendment-rights-back/550594.md?page=2)