What in the hell has our world come to?

[nikki_the_insane]

Today, in the United States, I heard that the supreme court has made a law against freedom of speech. What I heard is that they had made a ruleing that anyone, with exception to media, can not air ads against or for presidential or any other elections up to 2 months before they take place. Tell me this, isn't this against our first amendment. Freedom of speech. If they can pass this, who is to say they can't vote out the whole amendment, hey who says they can't through out ALL of the amendments?!

If my info is wrong or you guys have any links to stories on this issue please post them here.

Let me just say that I hope those supreme court justices who voted on this have a miserable after life. A very miserable one.

 

[jeisan]

interesting ill do some digging on this and see what i can find.

 

[Haivart]

Here is the site of this term's opinions. It appears to be what you refer to; but the focus is campaign funding. Happy reading.

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/03slipopinion.html

I'm already tired of the commercial for next year's election that's been running for a month.

 

[nikki_the_insane]

Interesting. Can you believe the democrats are already having presidential debates? XD It so hilarious how much the democrats are wanting to get into office. What is their problem? Do the enjoy screwing over millions of people or are they just dense and don't know what the hell they are doing?

 

[Mashu]

I don't know. What is the Democrat's problem? Care to enlighten us.

 

[senseiman]

Yeah, what IS with those democrats? I mean DEBATING POLICY, can you believe it? What a bunch of creeps! And you know they are just doing it to screw with you, Nikki! Even though this is the normal time of year for political parties to have debates for their presidential nominations and the only reason the Republicans aren't having them is that Junior is already their decided candidate, it must be that they just don't know what they hell they are doing!

 

[Haivart]

And a 2 month window for political ads seems reasonable and civilized. Those with lots of money for ads won't have too many because we react negatively to overkill--thus making the on-air time a bit more equal.

 

[kirei_na_me]

Yeah, damn those Democrats! They actually have enough intelligence to debate! Ah, the lesser of two evils...

 

[nikki_the_insane]

Yeah, what IS with those democrats? I mean DEBATING POLICY, can you believe it? What a bunch of creeps! And you know they are just doing it to screw with you, Nikki! Even though this is the normal time of year for political parties to have debates for their presidential nominations and the only reason the Republicans aren't having them is that Junior is already their decided candidate, it must be that they just don't know what they hell they are doing!

Oooo, do I hear a hint of sarcasm in your voice? No, it isn't the normal time of year for this. Elections aren't until next year dear, most canidates don't start this early for debates. Maybe for acquiring campaign money, but not debates.They are trying to take ur freedoms away. They are trying to ban everything from cigarettes to our own freedom of speech! I'm not saying all democrats are bad, I don't judge people on their religion or polittical views, but do you really want to live in a world where you can't say what you want?

And a 2 month window for political ads seems reasonable and civilized. Those with lots of money for ads won't have too many because we react negatively to overkill--thus making the on-air time a bit more equal.

That is not resonable at all. That means it is against the law for anyone except media to put ads up for/ against canidates. It is limiting OUR freedom of speech. They are saying that we can't talk about things that we have the right in our country to say! The freedoms we fought so hard for our being stripped away. We should be able to say anything we want, when we want as long as we aren't infringing on the rights of others.

I'm sorry if I'm offending you, because you are a democrat, but I have the right to express how I feel about this. I doesn't mean I don't like you, I'll still be your friend!

 

[jeisan]

what do you mean its not normal for them to be debating this time of year? the democrats (or the republicans if they didnt already have their canidate) use this time this figure out whos gonna run for them, happens every election. i was surprised the first time i noticed they started so early too but its what happens...

 

[nikki_the_insane]

I mean debateing though, I have never seen them debate THIS early ever before. Who knows, probably just me. You know, I'm insane and everything. They don't call me Nikki the Insane (or niffer the insane depending on who you ask) for nothing! *pulls arms out of jacket and ties them together and then starts jumping around* Our Goooo-verment sYsTeM is out to Gooooo-et me! Must Jump, jump, JUMP Awwwwwwaaaaaay! ----*

 

[jeisan]

aye but you were 11 last time this happened too, not something id think youd pay particular attention to at that age.

 

[nikki_the_insane]

Oh, you would think i wouldn't pay attention. My mom is a political junky and has been teaching me about politics ever since i was like 8, but you are probably right XD *shifty eyes* But the gooo-verment is still after me and i don't know why! *still with tied up sleeves lifts window sill with head and jumps out window* Aiiiiyeee! They are waiting for me down below!

 

[Haivart]

Yes dear, we are awaiting you. :evil:

Noone is stopping you from saying what you want. The opinion (it's not a law) is about campaign financing, not about the average person. And maybe the Dems. are just using common sense--they have 9 people running afterall. (I'm not of either party).

 

[nikki_the_insane]

You have a point Haivart, but still. Even though there is big companies that are putting campaign comercials on air they still have that right to do that. Freedom of speech. They can spend their money the way they like to talk about what they like anytime they want, anywhere they want, as long as they don't infringe on others rights.

 

[noyhauser]

Last time I checked, freedom of speech was an equal rights, not a commodity that could be purchased by the highest bidder. Campaign finance laws are designed to correct some of the most egregious abuses that the political system experiences. Wealth should not be the prime factor in why people win elections; it should be their ability to put forward policies, which the polis finds the most attractive. In the 1998 senate and congressional election, opponents who outspent their opponents won 92% of house races and 86% of senate races. Money wins campaigns? not ideas, that?s not free speech. Furthermore the current campaign finance laws, on soft money are horribly skewed policies. Political campaigns are no more about what Johnny Upstanding?s campaign plank is, rather it has degenerated into a mud slinging match about why Bobby Evildooer didn?t support this bill and that bill. The move to garbage politics is because the current election laws allow you to spend as much as you want on ?third party? commercials, you just don?t have to say you support, just what is wrong about the other campaign. That?s why at the end of each political commecial you get a statement, ?funded by the campaing of Person such and such?. Its because they can?t spend anymore on themselves. That?s not what a democracy is supposed to be about.

Moreover, Political action committees, which give money to political parties, accrue far more influence than the average person. Does Person A who has 1 million dollars have the right to influence my political choices because he can influence the government to carry out policies with his money? Lets say you don?t want a gas pipeline in your backyard, but person A who is a Gas tycoon wants its profitable. So he goes and gives a 1million dollars for Senator A?s and potential senator B?s campaigns so that he will go and build that pipeline. That?s not free speech, that?s legalized corruption. The lack of true democratic representation also makes the political system less and less representative, and people get dissatisfied with it. Then they go to interest groups, which shouldn?t be the way that politics are run.

 

[Mashu]

Oh, you would think i wouldn't pay attention. My mom is a political junky and has been teaching me about politics ever since i was like 8, but you are probably right XD *shifty eyes* But the gooo-verment is still after me and i don't know why! *still with tied up sleeves lifts window sill with head and jumps out window* Aiiiiyeee! They are waiting for me down below!

And I'm guessing your mom is Republican, correct?

 

[senseiman]

Wow, Nikki, mabye you should change your name to Nikki the paranoid or something.

You do realize that its the Republicans who have been taking everyone's rights away recently and not the Democrats, right? I mean, you can't even take out a library book anymore without the government knowing about it thanks to the Republicans, what exactly have the Democrats done to take away your freedoms?

I think Noyhauser makes a pretty good argument about how bad an effect on the democratic process big money is having.

 

[nikki_the_insane]

Last time I checked, freedom of speech was an equal rights, not a commodity that could be purchased by the highest bidder. Campaign finance laws are designed to correct some of the most egregious abuses that the political system experiences. Wealth should not be the prime factor in why people win elections; it should be their ability to put forward policies, which the polis finds the most attractive. In the 1998 senate and congressional election, opponents who outspent their opponents won 92% of house races and 86% of senate races. Money wins campaigns? not ideas, that?s not free speech. Furthermore the current campaign finance laws, on soft money are horribly skewed policies. Political campaigns are no more about what Johnny Upstanding?s campaign plank is, rather it has degenerated into a mud slinging match about why Bobby Evildooer didn?t support this bill and that bill. The move to garbage politics is because the current election laws allow you to spend as much as you want on ?third party? commercials, you just don?t have to say you support, just what is wrong about the other campaign. That?s why at the end of each political commecial you get a statement, ?funded by the campaing of Person such and such?. Its because they can?t spend anymore on themselves. That?s not what a democracy is supposed to be about.

Moreover, Political action committees, which give money to political parties, accrue far more influence than the average person. Does Person A who has 1 million dollars have the right to influence my political choices because he can influence the government to carry out policies with his money? Lets say you don?t want a gas pipeline in your backyard, but person A who is a Gas tycoon wants its profitable. So he goes and gives a 1million dollars for Senator A?s and potential senator B?s campaigns so that he will go and build that pipeline. That?s not free speech, that?s legalized corruption. The lack of true democratic representation also makes the political system less and less representative, and people get dissatisfied with it. Then they go to interest groups, which shouldn?t be the way that politics are run.

Big money has corrupted a lot of the political system here. But hopefully, many people will look past how much money someone has and look at their beliefs. That probably won't happen though. The world depends too much on money to make it revolve, but there are a few out there that will vote based on thier views.

And I'm guessing your mom is Republican, correct?

Yeah. I don't always agree with everything she says though. I use to, but that's before I started to get older and understand more of the things going on in the world.

Wow, Nikki, mabye you should change your name to Nikki the paranoid or something.

You do realize that its the Republicans who have been taking everyone's rights away recently and not the Democrats, right? I mean, you can't even take out a library book anymore without the government knowing about it thanks to the Republicans, what exactly have the Democrats done to take away your freedoms?

I think Noyhauser makes a pretty good argument about how bad an effect on the democratic process big money is having.

I never said that the Republicans aren't pulling stuff. They've been lazy as of late and are letting a lot of things slide. They've also been passing some ludicris laws, that a lot of people are wondering why they are passing. So Republicans aren't perfect either, I just perfer to pick the lesser of two evils.

Hmm, how are democrats taking away are freedoms. By telling us we shouldn't go and fight Saddam and Bin Laden. We are going to war with them to protect our freedoms. It's kind of hard to do that when people are saying we shouldn't go to war and that war is bad. War is bad, I understand that, but when someone attacks us because of who we are as a country, it can't be helped. I know you are probably gonna argue about why we shouldn't have the war because we don't have proof that Saddam has weapons of mass destruction and such. Well, if he didn't have some why would he be hiding? Also, we tried to settle this out with them in a peaceful manner for over 2 months before we declared war on them, we couldn't. Sure we probably could have tried harder to end this peacefully, but in the end the President felt it wasn't possible.

Sorry if my ideas seemed jumbled. Just woke up.

 

[nikki_the_insane]

Btw, what would I know. I'm only 15!