Habeas Corpus Appeal to Michael - Save Ed From Lethal Ejection

[jEdD <jedd>]

Fiona, seemingly damning Michael with feigned praise, wrote:
> >
> > I'm serious.  I recognize the value of having, as we do in Michael
> > Berch, a very tolerant and laissez-faire listowner, but personal
> > invective of this nature is too much.
> >
> >                 --pissed,
> >
> >                         Fiona

Then Mary brought out her rifle, and said:
> 
> I really have to agree Fiona,and thank you for speaking up.
> JBolt, Michael, can't you unsubscribe this guy?  I just read and
> recommend highly  "The Death of Discourse." The book is a very balanced
> discussion of the rights and
>  *responsibilites* of free speech.  In my political opinions,
> free speech has always been my highest priority, but I see no real
> contradiction in this case.  You are making the whole list a very
> distasteful place for many of us, and I can't even figure out why.


Well, I object to the schmuck comment as well, and I'm glad everybody's
chiming in to voice their objections to it too.  But, I think the
"Bounce Ed" is a really bad one.  I realize that its Michael's decision
alone whether someone should be unsubbed, but since opinions supporting
Ed's lethal ejection are being voiced...I felt I had to say something.

First of all, I disagree with what I see as Mary's "free speech except
when I can find a loophole to shut Ed up" theory. If you are going to
invoke free speech concepts, please go back and check your book again,
because I don't think you are doing it correctly.  There's no important
state interest at stake here...and Ed's not screaming "Fire" in a
crowded theater...he's just annoying you.  You won't find a court in the
country that would shut somebody up for making you uncomfortable with
what he writes (well, short of death threats and such).

Second, I think one of the greatest benefits of free speech is the
balancing effect that it can have.  You always need extreme opinions,
and people shouting them down, to reach a sense balance.....like....I
think that it has been helpful to the gay rights movement that there are
extremist homophobes who occasionally get so much attention (Jesse Helms
types) because middle of the road people don't want to identify with
them, and it sends more people away from the extremist and towards the
middle...Extremists, whether annoying or not, play an important role in
the system.

And, though some on the list will disagree, I think Ed's presence has
had some helpful balancing effect.  Ed has been a bit annoying at times,
but I think he has been 100% right about some of what he has said too,
and he has generated a lot of new discussion on a list that had become
kind of boring (at least for this old list member who has not only read,
but LIVED through the archives!).  

And, maybe its my (hopeful) imagination, but I also think I've seen
fewer expressions of the mindless hero worship and sainthood that some
people on this list burden Patti Smith with.  I found that really
revolting, and considered unsubscribing a few times because of it.  So,
even though I'd like to see Ed (voluntarily) tone it down a bit, I think
he should stay.