Dr. Laura and the 1st Amendment

I am a long time fan of Dr Laura Schlessinger. I have enjoyed her radio show for years. I have read most of her books and enjoyed all that I’ve read. I agree with her moral stance on many, many issues and have sometimes felt convicted by her words when she pointed out something on the radio that I was doing at home. I have always found her to be logical and consistent in her application of her stated morals. She has served as a beacon of sanity in a sea of moral chaos that has washed over this country in the past 20 years. Her voice has been one of the loudest to call for personal responsibility and to police yourself when it comes to your morals.

A few days ago, on Larry King Live, Dr Laura owned up to having said something distasteful on air, but then bitterly declared that “I want to be able to say what’s on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry- some special interest group deciding this is a time to silence a voice of dissent and attack affiliates and sponsors…I want to take back my first amendment rights.”

I have the utmost respect for Dr. Laura and I do NOT disagree with what she’s said about the use of the “N-word” on her program nor do I think her use of it was out of place in the discussion she was having on air that day. She made a valid point, though her delivery may have been somewhat in poor taste.

But her statements on Larry King make no sense from a moral standpoint. She wants the ability to say what she wants to say, the way she wants to say it, but doesn’t want anyone else to be able to do the same when it comes to her? It’s hypocritical and not the sort of thing I expect from Dr Laura.

Yes, she is under attack, but these kinds of attacks are nothing new to Dr Laura. She’s been fighting these battles for 30 years or more. Groups on the left of the political spectrum have long hated her and seek any opportunity to attack her and silence her if possible. Gay groups like GLAD and PFLAG have repeatedly called for boycotts of her sponsors and their products based on her comments about homosexuality. The NAACP has protested her views regarding the dissolution of the black family. The NOW has protested her views on abortion. All of these groups have gone to her sponsors at one time or another and asked them to stop their sponsorship of her show. As a result of their efforts, her show is not getting the ratings it once had. Her sponsors are not as willing to back her as they used to be. Her show and her livelihood have suffered because of these things.

That’s what I think she means by taking back her 1st Amendment rights. Right now, she’s under constant scrutiny by forces aligned against her and she’s tired of being a target. She’s tired of the battle. I understand that, but she needs to realize that her behavior here is hurting her credibility and undermining her character. She would never recommend to a caller that they hold themselves to a lesser standard than they do others. She would never recommend that a caller do what feels good to them and say “to hell with what is right and wrong”. And if freedom isn’t for everyone under the law, it is not TRUE FREEDOM.

My advice to Dr Laura, who has given so much advice to others, is simple. Take a break. Breathe in, breathe out and get your mind right. Then go take on the day.