Comments on: Bono, Cher, and the Supremes: Supreme Court Takes Profanity Case http://jonathanturley.org/2008/03/18/bono-cher-and-the-supremes-supreme-court-takes-profanity-case/ Res ipsa loquitur ("The thing itself speaks") Mon, 28 May 2012 08:24:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Susan http://jonathanturley.org/2008/03/18/bono-cher-and-the-supremes-supreme-court-takes-profanity-case/#comment-8680 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:52:26 +0000 http://jonathanturley.wordpress.com/?p=1282#comment-8680 “The question is whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can punish broadcasters for “fleeting expletives” by such celebrities.”
J. Turley
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Personally, I think the question is whether the FCC SHOULD take this rather absurd step of punishing broadcasters for “fleeting expletives” by celebrities, be they Hollywood entertainers or anyone else. Even if they CAN, what sort of “punishment” would they be seeking? Jail time for the f-bomb, or s-word? Fines for being “guilty” of nothing more than bad taste, which again does NO harm or injury to anyone?

We should all remember the wise and common-sense observation of Thomas Jefferson: “…but it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are many gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” I may not have the quote exactly, but it’s close enough. Jefferson’s observation applies to uttered expletives, that while raising an eyebrow or two, breaks no legs and picks no pockets. If the FCC is foolish enough to take this absurd case to the USSC, I hope they LOSE it. Talk about “frivolous use of the courts!” This definitely meets THAT criteria!

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