Guest Tyler McClelland Report post Posted April 6, 2003 Correct. Fire him for bad journalism and research. Not his opinion. He has a right, God dammit, to express his opinion. That's what this country is about, and to persecute those who express their opinions is absurd and dangerous. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Powerplay Report post Posted April 6, 2003 And they're supporting the fact that he was fired for other reasons. The MAIN REASON why he was fired was because of the said opinion. Nobody is denying that, even MSNBC. That's dangerous. That's my entire point. Tyler, I think you are missing a big point here. He has a right to an opinion and he has the freedom to express it. Had he done this on NBC I'm sure he could call some sort of lawsuit against the company. But the problem is he expressed his opinion ON THE STATE-RUN IRAQI TELEVISION NETWORK . You have failed to grasp that extenuating circumstance. Again, he should be glad that all he lost was his job. He was circulating a faulty, non-informed opinion on the state-run network of an enemy that we are currently at war at with false statements that directly hinder the war effort. Tyler, it is your right to freedom of speech. But to paraphrase the great Oliver Wendall Holmes, you do NOT have the right to cry fire falsely in a packed movie theater. His statements posed a clear and present danger to the war effort, and even moreso being used on Iraqi T.V, where it could be used as propaganda against us. It's been decided in the Supreme Court that this is outside your right to freedom of speech to do something like that, especially with the medium he was talking to give unsubstatiated and later proven to be blatantly false opinions that would directly hinder the war effort. This isn't like he was saying it to a friend, he was saying it across the television, and unless it is public access television, you do NOT have an absolute right to your opinion on someone else's money. BTW, I am using the slightly outdated "Clear And Present Danger" test, but then again, the current test used by the court is stricter than such. So is this censorship? Hell no. The guy even went outside of his right to Freedom of Speech. This is idiocrisy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Tyler McClelland Report post Posted April 6, 2003 Great, you know what? That should be their reason for his termination. Guess what? It wasn't. That's your argument, not theirs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest EricMM Report post Posted April 6, 2003 I'm shocked, 39 years old is rediculously young to die from anything. Tyler I really don't think he was fired for his opinion, I'm pretty sure that if he had sat here in America and said those things he would have been ... less likely to have been fired. There are enough liberal people desperate to hear that Bush is failing to keep him his job. But he didn't he told the Iraqis that they were being successful, he told them that they were succeeding. Let me repeat that this was not on American TV, it was on Iraqi TV. If his words inspired one Iraqi would-be-defector to stick around and shoot at our soldiers any more than they would have without Arnett's words, then he is giving aid and comfort to the US's enemy, which is really really bad, like treason bad, you know? It wasn't his opinion it was what he did with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hogan Made Wrestling Report post Posted April 7, 2003 It's still firing someone for expressing their opinion. Regardless of whether it's right or not, look at the base of the issue. He was fired for expressing his opinion. It's quite arguable that his opinion and his interview presented a clear and present danger to the United States war effort and U.S. troops in the field. He is lucky that he isn't being prosecuted for hindering the United States war effort. I don't see how any reasonable person can think that. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one, and Arnett expressing his, misguided and incorrect as it might be, isn't going to have any effect on how the US military plan things out. What I want to know is why arn't people demaning that Rivera be fired/prosectuted for comprimising military security on live TV? People seem to have completely no-sold his behavior because he works for the rah-rah-USA news channel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted April 7, 2003 What did Geraldo do exactly?I've never seen the tape. All I know is he drew a map in sand of there location. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hogan Made Wrestling Report post Posted April 7, 2003 What did Geraldo do exactly?I've never seen the tape. All I know is he drew a map in sand of there location. He drew a map in the sand that detailed FUTURE US troops movements towards Bahgdad. So if the Iraqis were watching, they would have known where the US troops were moving to next. Suffice to say Centcom was pissed off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted April 7, 2003 Why would the commander tell Geraldo anything of importance. Telling any journalist vital info is a mistake, but Geraldo has been know to put his foot is foot in his mouth on past occasions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Powerplay Report post Posted April 7, 2003 It's still firing someone for expressing their opinion. Regardless of whether it's right or not, look at the base of the issue. He was fired for expressing his opinion. It's quite arguable that his opinion and his interview presented a clear and present danger to the United States war effort and U.S. troops in the field. He is lucky that he isn't being prosecuted for hindering the United States war effort. I don't see how any reasonable person can think that. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one, and Arnett expressing his, misguided and incorrect as it might be, isn't going to have any effect on how the US military plan things out. What I want to know is why arn't people demaning that Rivera be fired/prosectuted for comprimising military security on live TV? People seem to have completely no-sold his behavior because he works for the rah-rah-USA news channel. Why not? He was essentially delivering propaganda that could be considered credible information (Since he's from the Colition's side) by the Iraqi people right to the enemy government. This could potentially keep some troops from defecting and civilians from trusting the Americans because it looks like their government is winning. This DOESN'T hinder the war effort and endanger U.S. Troops in some way? Geraldo? I don't have much respect for the guy as a reporter anyways, but if you'd like me to bitch about him as well, sure. I wouldn't mind seeing him getting nailed for essentially giving away U.S. War Plans to enemy troops. Again, both of them were idiots and both of them are lucky they aren't being prosecuted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheMikeSC Report post Posted April 7, 2003 So having an opinion no matter where you say it, or how absurd it is. By no means should you be fired? Simple question: Let's say Arnett said in an interview that slavery was "terrific", that blacks are inferior and nothing "but a bunch of dam*ed n******" and that maybe, just maybe, Hitler wasn't too bad. Would people oppose him getting fired for saying THAT? -=Mike --- you can get fired for stating idiotic opinions Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Tyler McClelland Report post Posted April 7, 2003 Being hateful and stupid is different from just being stupid. That being said, he *technically* shouldn't be able to be fired for his comments, but then again, I'm sure they could find about a hundred more reasons for firing him if those are his opinions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest NoCalMike Report post Posted April 8, 2003 No way Geraldo should have been let off the hook so easily while Arnett suffered the wrath of popular nationalistic opinion. What Geraldo did, or tried to do was a hell of a lot worse than some guy saying, "umm, yah the war is not going so great for America" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Powerplay Report post Posted April 8, 2003 What Geraldo did, or tried to do was a hell of a lot worse than some guy saying, "umm, yah the war is not going so great for America" Then again, he didn't do it on Iraqi television, either. But yes, Geraldo should be burned bad for what he did. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
