You know, I loathe Bill Maher, I really do, but I’m not going to try to manipulate the market by suppressing his free speech simply because I disagree with him, the same reason I didn’t hop on the “pull Letterman’s sponsors” bandwagon after his remark about Sarah Palin’s daughter. I am a strict believer in free speech.
People like Maher, Olberman, Hannity, and Glenn Beck are able to draw advertisers because the spots are well-received and certainly, there must be a response otherwise the companies wouldn’t continue buying airtime.
All of this is why the latest trick by the left to suppress dissent infuriates me:
As NewsBuster Matthew Vadum reported Wednesday, a race-baiting group named Color Of Change — co-founded by President Obama’s “Green Jobs Czar” Van Jones — has launched a campaign to get companies to stop advertising on Glenn Beck’s television program.
Recent press releases from COC concerning Beck have listed as the contact “Brandon Hatler — Sunshine, Sachs & Associates.”
As Variety reported in May 2007, SSA is a powerful New York-based public relations firm with quite an impressive list of clients …
From the COC’s press release with the big fancy PR company as their contact:
“We applaud GEICO and all of the other companies who have stepped forward to pull their ads from Glenn Beck,” said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. “Beck’s rhetoric is dangerous to the fabric of our democracy, and we are heartened that so many big companies feel the same way. We won’t stop here — we’re going to continue our fight to see that as many of Beck’s advertisers pull their support as possible.”
Bottom line: if you can’t handle dissent, you are a pansy. If you can’t handle someone having the same amount of airtime as Keith Olberman or Bill Maher to say things contrary to their talking points, then you need therapy to help you blossom from your arrested development. Rarely do I get so stern in the written form on this site but good grief, people. This is what we’re going to do now to people with whom we disagree?
COC and SSA are not acting in accordance with respect of the First Amendment; they’re waging war on it. Perhaps in defense, we should refuse to support the endeavors of all of SSA’s clientele?
(h/t Brian)
*UPDATE: The founder of COC is an adviser to the president.
*Here are Beck’s advertisers as of 8/09. Hit ’em up, support with your dollars:
60Plus.org
AARP Insurance
Accu Chek Aviva
ADT Security
Ally Bank (allybank.com)
Apple
Avodart
Brita Filter
Broadview Security
Conservatives for Patients Rights
Ditech (ditech.com)
Forex.com
Golden Corral
Healthy Choice
HSBC Life Insurance
Mercedes-Benz
Metastock
Nexium
Pepboys
Radio Shack
Rapid Bath (not Rapid Wash)
Red Lobster
Super8 motels (super8.com)
Superior Gold Group
Travelocity
United Healthcare Insurance
Wall Street Journal
Walmart
Weitz&Luxemburg
Cancellations; I will not support these companies and I urge you to do the same as they seem to not appreciate free speech:
Geico
Lawyers.com
Mens Warehouse
Proctor & Gamble
Progressive Insurance
S.C. Johnson
State Farm
Sargento Cheese
(Via Dame Truth)
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