Sunday, July 08, 2007
35th anniversary of Carlin's Seven Dirty Words
July 21 is the 35th anniversary of George Carlin's Seven Dirty Words. According to a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, a Milwaukee police officer patrolling the crowd of Carlin's July 21, 1972 performance, ". . . would have stormed the main stage, stopped the show and dragged Carlin off to jail. Instead, he went to the stage area and complained to a superior officer [who said] 'We'll get him when it's over.'"
The article quotes Carlin,
How should we celebrate this important anniversary? Comments please.
The article quotes Carlin,
"I wouldn't have changed anything I did if I had known there were children in the audience. I think children need to hear those words the most because as yet they don't have the hang-ups. It's adults who are locked into certain thought patterns . . . "I find it kind of funny to be hassled for using them [the words that I can't repeat here in a family newspaper even in 2007] when my intention is to free us from hassling people for using them."Freedom of speech ONLY needs to be protected when it offends. "Polite" speech does not need defending. Freedom of speech remains in danger. Innocent exclamations are punished by large fines while protest signs about bong hits for Jesus are censured by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile topics like Darfur, Pakistan, Global Climate Change and how the Internet threatens the rich and powerful are given short shrift on TV, on radio and in newspapers. Liberal views are systematically excluded from talk shows, and and non-corporate views are rarely expressed. Fuck that shit.
How should we celebrate this important anniversary? Comments please.
Technorati Tags: Constitution, FirstAmendment, Freedom, Language, Law, NetworkNeutrality, Press, savetheinternet, WalledGardens
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Trivia: The name of the Federal Communications Bar Association's Ultimate Frisbee Team is "Seven Dirty Words."
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