I stand before you – a man against the masses. A symbol of hope for the common man – a flame to burn the embers of truth – a voice crying out in the wilderness trying to
find an ear to listen.
Although it doesn't show in my attitude or
how I act, but when an issue such as the one I will be discussing tonight
surfaces, you can bet that you will see those flames burning and you will hear
my voice loud and proud, and the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees
that to me. It guarantees to all of us
that, “Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of
grievances.”
I’m
proud to say – “Yes, I've read Huckleberry
Finn,” or – “Yes, I've enjoyed the music of Prince or Judas Priest,” or
better yet – “I’m a Howard Stern fan.”
But what do these issues have in
common? I’ll tell you. The book, the artists, and the man have been
the targets of people with closed minds and one-sided views. Being a supporter of First Amendment issues,
you can bet that I’ll follow it until the Supreme Court makes a judgment on the
case.
There
is some history behind my taking up this very controversial issue. It started in 1985 when our, now,
Vice-president’s wife, “Tipper,” formed the Parents Music Resource
Center (PMRC), to fight “Dirty Records.”
When Frank Zappa, Dee Snider, and John Denver, and countless other
musicians went to Capitol Hill to let their voices be heard, I was with them in
spirit, because, in my heart, I knew the PMRC was going a little too far –
dissecting lyrics for the sake of finding dirt.
Granted, there are artists that can go a bit too far, but to label them
as bad influences is a crime. I was (and
still am) listening to these artists, enjoying their music and going to their
concerts. I followed the Congressional
hearings until the very end. This is the
reason I feel so strong about the First Amendment.
In
high school, you’re taught right from wrong, how to play fairly, and coexist
with others in social settings. I felt I
was being wronged by my government back then, and sometimes it comes back to
haunt me in magazine articles, television shows, or other mediums. They were coming into my home and judging
what was good for me and what was bad for me.
About a year after graduation, a songwriter from Canada named Arnold
Lanni wrote titled Should I See. When I heard the words, I was (if you’ll
excuse the use of a colloquial phrase) blown away. The first verse goes, and I quote:
Cover my eyes and ears
‘Til it all disappears
How can you judge for me
What I should hear and see
You take away freedom of
choice
Take away my right to voice
My beliefs and all my views
You take away my right to
choose
After hearing that, I felt that it wasn't a sin
against society to have a copy of a Heavy Metal album in my home.
How
would you feel if someone were to invade your thought, and tell you what you
should be reading, or listening to? You
probably wouldn't like it very much.
Suppose someone told you that you couldn't read:
Huckleberry Finn, or
Catcher In The Rye, or
Of Mice And Men, or
Little House On The Prairie.
These books were on the list of questionable books in
schools, tracked by the People For The American Way (a national anti-censorship organization). They
tracked a total of 375 for the 1993-94 school year.
Those
books I mentioned are classics in all sense of the word classic. They portrayed the times in which they were
written, and most have a moral at the end.
But now, with everyone being so Politically Correct, there are words in
the context of the books, now deemed derogatory, are questionable. Or they portrayed something we deem as
different from the norm, and we want to shelter it from whoever wishes to read
them.
At a
library in Weslaco, Texas, a librarian was fired for stocking Howard Stern’s
book, Private Parts. After ordering and receiving the book, the
library received a complaint, and the book was placed in the reserved
section. After the same person
complained about the book, the librarian was asked to remove the book from the
library. She told the library commission
that the book had been removed, and ultimately, she was fired. Her personal belongings had been vandalized,
her life had been threatened. But,
luckily Howard heard of this and came to her rescue. They appeared on the Donahue Show with members of the library commission, and they made
it look like it was all her fault. End
result – Miss Librarian is in seclusion, the book is back in the reserve
section, and Howard is still Howard.
The
FCC has levied millions of dollars in fines against Howard Stern for being
obscene on the air. When and where, I
would like to know? This is what I think
is weird. We have a bunch of people
appointed to high ranking positions in our government in charge of free
speech. If they go after the likes of
Howard, they should go after: Phil,
Oprah, Montel, Jenny, Days of Our Lives,
and dare I say Rush Limbaugh at every direction.
Recently
we witnessed the murder of Tejano music star Selena. The killing was unjust, and a life was taken
before it was time. Mr. Howard Stern
reported the death in his own fashion, but not mocking the recently
departed. Of all the strange things
Howard has said, or the malicious things Howard has said, he say something from
his own standpoint and gets a lot of heat.
Howard said that Hispanics had bad taste in music. What has happened since – a justice of the
peace in Texas has issued a Disorderly Conduct Warrant against Howard
Stern; he is to be arrested if he enters
the state of Texas. All this for being a
critic. If that were the case – Siskel
and Ebert, and the rest would be locked up for life.
When
and where does it end – I don’t know.
There are as many questions as there are answers. You may not agree with everything I've said,
but think of this… When someone tells
you that you can’t listen to someone, or read something, how would you
feel? There is time for a Witch Hunt –
but let’s concentrate on the child molesters, the murderers, and the drug
dealers. Leave my books, music, and
Howard Stern alone.
