Speech Aint Free

I’m sick and tired of seeing people complaining about online forums, Facebook groups, and other such private concerns suppressing their Constitutional freedom of speech. I’ve seen it in comments sections for news articles, online forums concerning specific subjects, and most recently a Facebook group which specifically prohibits posts and links of a political nature.

Of course, such restrictions open the flood gates for people who just can’t fathom that rules might apply to them, so they post exactly the kinds of comments prohibited by that group’s rules. When people point that out in the inevitable discussion that follows, they’re trounced by people wailing about how the group moderators are trying to take away their freedom of speech.

Here’s what the Constitution says about freedom of speech in Article I: “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.”

Let’s look at the first word of this article again.

Congress.

Unless Congress runs Facebook or has a Facebook page that allows Wall postings and comments, anyone who puts together a Facebook group has the right to restrict what’s posted and delete anything that violates their posting guidelines. Same goes for online news sites, disccusion boards, and any other place Congress doesn’t run.

As Americans, we have the Contstitutional right to spout off about pretty much any old thing. On the other hand, owners of websites or parts of websites where comments are allowed have the right to delete missives about pretty much any old thing, and they don’t have to have any justification for it, though most do. Most have posting guidelines or terms of service that you agree to follow either by electronically signing off on such an agreement or by reading the posting guidelines (you all read those before you post somewhere, right?). If you don’t follow the rules, prepare for comment deletion or possible banishment from the service.

Because here in America at least, as much as you’re allowed to spew your thoughts under Article I of the Constitution, site and group owners are allowed to suppress them due to that very same Constitutional right.

All right, Zonies…

That stuff that’s falling from the sky today. You know, the liquidy stuff that makes the weeds grow and makes the roads very slick. That’s called “rain”, and there’s going to be a good quantity of it falling from the sky today and tomorrow. You know what that means, right?

Morons.

Yes, every time it rains around here, that’s when the biggest, baddest morons hit the road and decide they need to go somewhere. Rather than drive a little more carefully, these folks drive faster so they can get to where they’re going and get out of the evil rain as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, some of them succeed all too well and some of them help others avoid having to drive in the rain ever again. There’s already a fatal accident on I-10 near downtown this morning and it’s only 6:30am.

Be safe out there, will ya? The life you save may be my own.