Things do seem to be getting worse in Japan. Now there are a total of 3 plants involved in the accident. Yes, I am calling it an accident because that it what it is. No one maliciously caused what occurred. But we need to search through the all the reports to the truth.
Unfortunately for my business that is hard to do. No one is going to say anything definitive until it is definitive. This will probably take months. But we can cut through some of the hype and media frenzy.
First, while the design of the containment structures at one of the plants is a type that may have some design flaws, not all plants that are involved are of that type.
Secondly, the design of the containment structures, flawed or not, was NOT the cause of what is going on. The cause my friends was the loss of power that occurred as the tsunami carried away the fuel oil tanks that supplied the emergency diesel generators. Once they were gone, the fate of the plants was sealed.
I am still having a hard time understanding how someone would build a plant that close to the ocean and leave fuel oil tanks above ground and virtually unprotected. I have worked at several plants of GE design. In fact, I was licensed to run one of them in North Carolina that had the same containment design that one of the plants in Japan has. I have never even seen the entire emergency diesel generator fuel oil system that unprotected. In the US plants I have worked at the all but the main supply tank (which can hold upwards of 500,00 gallons of fuel oil at some sites) is the only tank that is above ground. There is a supply of fuel oil for use only by these emergency generators that is below ground and are in watertight compartments simialr to those found on submarines. In short, they are well protected. Are these things full proof. No, nothing is. But they are tough I tell you that.
If I get any more updates from work I'll let you all know so stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Please Remain Calm
While we sit and watch TV and read the news about all that is going on in Japan, it is hard not to be over whelmed with all that has happened. My concern, because I work in the industry is the nuclear plants that are having problems.
If the news that we hear is true, and I stress TRUE, we are indeed on the edge of having something very bad going on at those plants and I pray for all the workers.
But let us do that, pray, for now and wait until the people and government of Japan can get things stable and report on what is really going on.
After the Three Mile Island accident in PA those many years ago, there were reports of radiation leaks and hazards to the public. After the dust settled the experts themselves agreed that they acted to fast on facts that were not true. The press however is out for ratings and circulation and will sensationalize anything. I don't care if its Fox, MSNBC, CNN or The Funky Times, they are all in business to make money and will say anything to get ratings.
That being said let us flip the coin. Like I said, I work in the nuclear industry and they are in business to make money. So it is their best interest to put the best spin on what is going one. Will they lie? Well one recently did lie to the legislature and the people of a state and got caught. So yes, it can happen.
So where is the truth? As always it is some where in the middle and in this case even that is scary. Because if we look at some of the "facts" that are currently being reported, even partially, are true. Those plants are in very bad shape.
Now, I am not an expert on the design of the plants in Japan. But I work on a plant that is similar to those that are in trouble. So I am going to state some of the "facts" and what it means if they are true.
If the news that we hear is true, and I stress TRUE, we are indeed on the edge of having something very bad going on at those plants and I pray for all the workers.
But let us do that, pray, for now and wait until the people and government of Japan can get things stable and report on what is really going on.
After the Three Mile Island accident in PA those many years ago, there were reports of radiation leaks and hazards to the public. After the dust settled the experts themselves agreed that they acted to fast on facts that were not true. The press however is out for ratings and circulation and will sensationalize anything. I don't care if its Fox, MSNBC, CNN or The Funky Times, they are all in business to make money and will say anything to get ratings.
That being said let us flip the coin. Like I said, I work in the nuclear industry and they are in business to make money. So it is their best interest to put the best spin on what is going one. Will they lie? Well one recently did lie to the legislature and the people of a state and got caught. So yes, it can happen.
So where is the truth? As always it is some where in the middle and in this case even that is scary. Because if we look at some of the "facts" that are currently being reported, even partially, are true. Those plants are in very bad shape.
Now, I am not an expert on the design of the plants in Japan. But I work on a plant that is similar to those that are in trouble. So I am going to state some of the "facts" and what it means if they are true.
- The plant is at a pressure more than twice its normal pressure. If true this means that not only did power at the plant fail (as has been reported) but valves that are designed to automatically open to relieve the pressure also failed. This is hard to swallow since these valves open on over pressure far below twice normal pressure (normal pressure is 1000 psig and these valves open at 1100 psig) and require no power to do so. The pressure in the reactor overcomes spring pressure and the excess steam/pressure is released.
- The plant has lost power. In a situation like those in Japan this would not be too hard to believe. Certainly the off-site power (the grid) is decimated. If the plants in Japan are designed as those int he US are, I find it hard to believe that all power is lost. But again, it is possible. If true there are still other methods to get water into the core to cool it. There are diesel driven pumps for example. But these could only function to put in water if those valves I spoke of in item one totally failed to work. If they can't get water in to cool the core the situation is very bad.
- There are reports of radiation levels in the plants control room is 1000 times above normal. I will tell you this, if that is true then the fuel is already damaged and things again would be extremely bad.
I don't say these things to scare people. What I want is for all of us to wait until things in Japan calm down and let the experts get in there and get things done. Then we can see how bad it really is.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Supreme Courts and the West Borough Baptist Church
I have not blogged in nearly a year. So I guess it is fitting at this near anniversary that I should put fingers to the keyboard and see where this rant leads me.
This week, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church. Justice Samuel Alito was the lone dessenting vote. Many of us in America are outraged by this outcome. But should we be surprised by it? I, for one, was not and I will explain why.
We all know that the defense put forth by the Westborough Baptist church was on the grounds of free speech. The line put forth by the family of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was concerning the pain and suffering the church caused them. Thus the line was drawn.
There was no way the Supreme Court was going to find for the Snyder family. Even though I believe that the justices might feel that what occurred was over "the line" the court did not want to decide where that line was. It is my belief that the court believes that the establishment of the line should be by the legislative branch no the judiciary. Had the Court ruled in favor of the Snyder family the flood gates would have been opened. Everyone who believed that they were wronged by free speech rights would have brought an immediate law suit in federal court. This would h ave over whelmed an already over whelmed system. But wait, the justices were sworn in promising to follow the constitution. In the end, that is exactly what they did. But you could not convince me that all 9 judges don't believe that Westboro Church is vile and needs to be reigned in. They, however, were not going to be the ones to do it while in the process placing more worked on an over worked system. We still have a lot of positions on the federal bench that remain unfilled because we have a congress that can't seem to get any work done.
But let's also look at the Westboro Baptist Church. Folks, this is not a church at all. They profess to be but what they are is a business. They are in the business of making money. How? You learn that the Westboro Baptist Church is coming to your town to demonstrate at a funeral of a fallen soldier. You are outraged. I would be outraged. That biker group Patriot Guard would be outraged. Now you have two groups converging on your fair town. A group of bikers hell bent on keeping the church group away from the funeral. Emotions run high. Cameras are rolling. News cameras and the cameras of the Westboro Baptist Church are rolling. There is an altercation between someone and one of the church members and it is all caught on tape. That is what the church wanted. Now they do not threaten to so the individual that started the altercation. They threaten to sue the city, town or county for not protecting them. They don't want to sue. They want to settle and so does the local government. So they settle for, oh lets say $100,000. Just what they wanted.
The church is not all lit up over America and gays. The church is lit up by dollar signs and if some reports are true it netted the Westboro Baptist Church over $1 million last year. To add insult t injury that is all tax free.
The best action is for each city, town, county and state to pass a law that they will be no demonstrations within 1000 feet of the entrance to the area where any funeral or burial is taking place. Oh, you can still have your free speech. But you can have it over there.
This week, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church. Justice Samuel Alito was the lone dessenting vote. Many of us in America are outraged by this outcome. But should we be surprised by it? I, for one, was not and I will explain why.
We all know that the defense put forth by the Westborough Baptist church was on the grounds of free speech. The line put forth by the family of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was concerning the pain and suffering the church caused them. Thus the line was drawn.
There was no way the Supreme Court was going to find for the Snyder family. Even though I believe that the justices might feel that what occurred was over "the line" the court did not want to decide where that line was. It is my belief that the court believes that the establishment of the line should be by the legislative branch no the judiciary. Had the Court ruled in favor of the Snyder family the flood gates would have been opened. Everyone who believed that they were wronged by free speech rights would have brought an immediate law suit in federal court. This would h ave over whelmed an already over whelmed system. But wait, the justices were sworn in promising to follow the constitution. In the end, that is exactly what they did. But you could not convince me that all 9 judges don't believe that Westboro Church is vile and needs to be reigned in. They, however, were not going to be the ones to do it while in the process placing more worked on an over worked system. We still have a lot of positions on the federal bench that remain unfilled because we have a congress that can't seem to get any work done.
But let's also look at the Westboro Baptist Church. Folks, this is not a church at all. They profess to be but what they are is a business. They are in the business of making money. How? You learn that the Westboro Baptist Church is coming to your town to demonstrate at a funeral of a fallen soldier. You are outraged. I would be outraged. That biker group Patriot Guard would be outraged. Now you have two groups converging on your fair town. A group of bikers hell bent on keeping the church group away from the funeral. Emotions run high. Cameras are rolling. News cameras and the cameras of the Westboro Baptist Church are rolling. There is an altercation between someone and one of the church members and it is all caught on tape. That is what the church wanted. Now they do not threaten to so the individual that started the altercation. They threaten to sue the city, town or county for not protecting them. They don't want to sue. They want to settle and so does the local government. So they settle for, oh lets say $100,000. Just what they wanted.
The church is not all lit up over America and gays. The church is lit up by dollar signs and if some reports are true it netted the Westboro Baptist Church over $1 million last year. To add insult t injury that is all tax free.
The best action is for each city, town, county and state to pass a law that they will be no demonstrations within 1000 feet of the entrance to the area where any funeral or burial is taking place. Oh, you can still have your free speech. But you can have it over there.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Leave it to Pelosi
I haven't blogged in quite a while. Work has been hectic and I have been so busy that I haven't had time.
Well, leave it to the current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to get me to the point that I need to take extra blood pressure medication to keep from having a coronary.
Pelosi spoke to a group that included both legal, as well as, illegal aliens and said that the enforcement of existing immigration laws, as currently practiced, is "un-American."
Really. I think it is time for the wonderful people of California to say goodbye to Ms. Pelosi by kicking her butt out of office the next time the opportunity presents itself.
Excuse me but didn't she, with the rest of her colleagues in the House, take an oath to up hold the Constitution of the United States. Well Madam Speaker...that in my mind includes the laws that are in place to protect that document and all it stands for.
Please, doesn't the word ILLEGAL mean anything to you? I guess not with the way those in congress and the current administration seem to forget to live by it.
People complain about laws in this country all the time. I for one don't think that the current laws against prostitution and use of marijuana are worth the paper they are printed on and should be repealed. I tell my elected officials this and that is all I can do.
Ms. Pelosi however is the Speaker of the House. She can introduce legislation and even control how the bill flows through the House.
Ms. Speaker, if you don't like the current laws try something novel. Instead of calling them un-American try changing them. Instead of jumping all over ICE and law enforcement for enforcing the laws that YOU and the others in congress passed you might try to enact changes.
Go ahead Nancy...introduce a bill in the House of Representatives that changes the way the law looks at ILLEGAL aliens.
You won't because you know what would happen.
Here is the link to the article http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/18/pelosi-tells-illegal-immigrants-work-site-raids-american/
Well, leave it to the current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to get me to the point that I need to take extra blood pressure medication to keep from having a coronary.
Pelosi spoke to a group that included both legal, as well as, illegal aliens and said that the enforcement of existing immigration laws, as currently practiced, is "un-American."
Really. I think it is time for the wonderful people of California to say goodbye to Ms. Pelosi by kicking her butt out of office the next time the opportunity presents itself.
Excuse me but didn't she, with the rest of her colleagues in the House, take an oath to up hold the Constitution of the United States. Well Madam Speaker...that in my mind includes the laws that are in place to protect that document and all it stands for.
Please, doesn't the word ILLEGAL mean anything to you? I guess not with the way those in congress and the current administration seem to forget to live by it.
People complain about laws in this country all the time. I for one don't think that the current laws against prostitution and use of marijuana are worth the paper they are printed on and should be repealed. I tell my elected officials this and that is all I can do.
Ms. Pelosi however is the Speaker of the House. She can introduce legislation and even control how the bill flows through the House.
Ms. Speaker, if you don't like the current laws try something novel. Instead of calling them un-American try changing them. Instead of jumping all over ICE and law enforcement for enforcing the laws that YOU and the others in congress passed you might try to enact changes.
Go ahead Nancy...introduce a bill in the House of Representatives that changes the way the law looks at ILLEGAL aliens.
You won't because you know what would happen.
Here is the link to the article http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/18/pelosi-tells-illegal-immigrants-work-site-raids-american/
Friday, February 20, 2009
Hypocrits
Have you all read this news article?
Foxnews:
WASHINGTON -- Invoking his own name-and-shame policy, President Barack Obama warned the nation's mayors Friday that he will "call them out" if they waste the money from his massive economic stimulus plan.
"We have asked for the unprecedented trust of the American people to deal boldly with the greatest economic crisis we have seen in decades -- and the privilege of investing unprecedented amounts of their hard-earned money to address this crisis," Obama told a gathering of mayors at the White House.
"With that comes an unprecedented obligation to do so wisely, free from politics and personal agendas," the president said. "On this I will not compromise or tolerate any shortcut."
The $787 billion economic plan passed by Congress and signed by Obama will inject a sudden boost of cash into infrastructure, education, energy and health care.
Now the political focus shifts to how all that taxpayer money will be spent on meaningful, job-creating projects.
Obama has staked his reputation on it.
He said Friday that legislation will allow the country "to watch the taxpayers' money with more rigor and transparency than ever."
The White House released excerpts of Obama's comments shortly before he spoke in the East Room.
"If a federal agency proposes a project that will waste that money, I will not hesitate to call them out on it, and put a stop to it," Obama said.
"But I want everyone here to be on notice that if a local government does the same -- I will call them out on it as well, and use the full power of my office and our administration to stop it," he said.
The president did not specify how, exactly, he would call out one of his administration's own agencies or a local government.
I don't often re-post an entire news article. However in this case I thought it was best to put it here instead of by link.
Looking strictly at what the President is trying to do this seems like a very good idea. On the sheer basis of it I would agree.
But when you look at all the spending on pet projects that the President allowed congress to add to the stimulus package it smells to high heaven to me.
Don't you think this is just a little hypocritical? Tell the state and local governments that he will be watching and call out those that propose spending that is wasteful all the while allowing those in the House and Senate a free pass.
I don't think so Mr. President. Is this what you call change? Is this what you call transparency? I guess that transparency only applies to state and local government not to those on Capital Hill.
You want to do this Mr. President I am okay with it, in fact, I am for it. But you need to start by going through the stimulus package and naming all those in the House and Senate who added waste full spending to the bill. Spending like neighborhood stabilization and all those other little pet congressional projects that are in that 1100 page piece of legislation.
Call out your old friends in the congress Mr. President, then you can call out those in state and local government that are wasting the taxpayers money.
Foxnews:
WASHINGTON -- Invoking his own name-and-shame policy, President Barack Obama warned the nation's mayors Friday that he will "call them out" if they waste the money from his massive economic stimulus plan.
"We have asked for the unprecedented trust of the American people to deal boldly with the greatest economic crisis we have seen in decades -- and the privilege of investing unprecedented amounts of their hard-earned money to address this crisis," Obama told a gathering of mayors at the White House.
"With that comes an unprecedented obligation to do so wisely, free from politics and personal agendas," the president said. "On this I will not compromise or tolerate any shortcut."
The $787 billion economic plan passed by Congress and signed by Obama will inject a sudden boost of cash into infrastructure, education, energy and health care.
Now the political focus shifts to how all that taxpayer money will be spent on meaningful, job-creating projects.
Obama has staked his reputation on it.
He said Friday that legislation will allow the country "to watch the taxpayers' money with more rigor and transparency than ever."
The White House released excerpts of Obama's comments shortly before he spoke in the East Room.
"If a federal agency proposes a project that will waste that money, I will not hesitate to call them out on it, and put a stop to it," Obama said.
"But I want everyone here to be on notice that if a local government does the same -- I will call them out on it as well, and use the full power of my office and our administration to stop it," he said.
The president did not specify how, exactly, he would call out one of his administration's own agencies or a local government.
I don't often re-post an entire news article. However in this case I thought it was best to put it here instead of by link.
Looking strictly at what the President is trying to do this seems like a very good idea. On the sheer basis of it I would agree.
But when you look at all the spending on pet projects that the President allowed congress to add to the stimulus package it smells to high heaven to me.
Don't you think this is just a little hypocritical? Tell the state and local governments that he will be watching and call out those that propose spending that is wasteful all the while allowing those in the House and Senate a free pass.
I don't think so Mr. President. Is this what you call change? Is this what you call transparency? I guess that transparency only applies to state and local government not to those on Capital Hill.
You want to do this Mr. President I am okay with it, in fact, I am for it. But you need to start by going through the stimulus package and naming all those in the House and Senate who added waste full spending to the bill. Spending like neighborhood stabilization and all those other little pet congressional projects that are in that 1100 page piece of legislation.
Call out your old friends in the congress Mr. President, then you can call out those in state and local government that are wasting the taxpayers money.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Here is an idea
I happened to see the conversation Greta Van Susteren had with Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) on the Fox news website this morning. Senator Kyl and Greta were lamenting the fact that no one had the chance to read the Stimulus package bill prior to voting on it.
Well ain’t that just a damn shame. Like this is the first time I have heard that complaint from a member of the Senate or the House. It has been brought up before and by members on both sides of the isle, democrat and republican.
My question is, and it is a rather simple one, why haven’t you clowns done anything about it?
You know that the House and Senate setup their own rules on how legislation is expected to be handled. All it takes is a vote by the members of that chamber to amend to rules. Why not go for it? Bring up a change in the rules in the House and the Senate that says no legislation will be voted on without first having three days to allow all members to read the bill. We want bi-partisan politics, well this seems like something each side can get behind. Each committee could enact a similar rule for their respective committees. Problem solved. If you don’t read the bill now it is the fault of the senator or house member.
Yes, this would slow down the legislative process. Well to quote a phrase used by the Blue Collar comedian Ron White, the legislative branch of government is already moving at half the speed of smell. What the hell is more of a slow down going to hurt? Besides, it will take away an excuse for all these legislators because they can’t say they didn’t have time to read the darn thing.
Let us just suppose that members of the House and Senate are not behind a change in the rules like this. What happens then? The answer is simple…DO NOT VOTE FOR THE BILL. There ya go. If the leadership cannot get the proposed legislation to its members in time to allow said members to read it then just don’t vote for it. I don’t mean abstain. I mean vote no. I don’t mean vote present. I mean vote NO.
We send these men and women to Washington to be our elected representatives. How can they in good conscience vote for a bill that they haven’t even read? How can WE THE PEOPLE allow our elected representatives to behave in a manner like this? We send them there to read the bills and cast a vote for us. Now we see again where these elected people are not doing what we expect them to do.
Just once I would like to see a press conference where a Senator or Congressman steps up to the microphone and says, “I didn’t vote for this bill because the leadership did not get it to me to allow sufficient time for me to read it.” Lay the blame square on the shoulders of those in leadership of the House and Senate. I don’t care what party they belong to.
It is high time we started holding our elected representatives accountable for what they do in Washington. But it is also high time we start holding ourselves accountable for allowing this to go on as long as it has.
Well ain’t that just a damn shame. Like this is the first time I have heard that complaint from a member of the Senate or the House. It has been brought up before and by members on both sides of the isle, democrat and republican.
My question is, and it is a rather simple one, why haven’t you clowns done anything about it?
You know that the House and Senate setup their own rules on how legislation is expected to be handled. All it takes is a vote by the members of that chamber to amend to rules. Why not go for it? Bring up a change in the rules in the House and the Senate that says no legislation will be voted on without first having three days to allow all members to read the bill. We want bi-partisan politics, well this seems like something each side can get behind. Each committee could enact a similar rule for their respective committees. Problem solved. If you don’t read the bill now it is the fault of the senator or house member.
Yes, this would slow down the legislative process. Well to quote a phrase used by the Blue Collar comedian Ron White, the legislative branch of government is already moving at half the speed of smell. What the hell is more of a slow down going to hurt? Besides, it will take away an excuse for all these legislators because they can’t say they didn’t have time to read the darn thing.
Let us just suppose that members of the House and Senate are not behind a change in the rules like this. What happens then? The answer is simple…DO NOT VOTE FOR THE BILL. There ya go. If the leadership cannot get the proposed legislation to its members in time to allow said members to read it then just don’t vote for it. I don’t mean abstain. I mean vote no. I don’t mean vote present. I mean vote NO.
We send these men and women to Washington to be our elected representatives. How can they in good conscience vote for a bill that they haven’t even read? How can WE THE PEOPLE allow our elected representatives to behave in a manner like this? We send them there to read the bills and cast a vote for us. Now we see again where these elected people are not doing what we expect them to do.
Just once I would like to see a press conference where a Senator or Congressman steps up to the microphone and says, “I didn’t vote for this bill because the leadership did not get it to me to allow sufficient time for me to read it.” Lay the blame square on the shoulders of those in leadership of the House and Senate. I don’t care what party they belong to.
It is high time we started holding our elected representatives accountable for what they do in Washington. But it is also high time we start holding ourselves accountable for allowing this to go on as long as it has.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Fairness Doctrine
There has been a lot of talk recently about the federal government and/or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) re-instituting something called the fairness doctrine.
What this basically says is that radio, TV and other media outlets have to provide a both sides of an issue equal time during interviews and debate over these issues.
No at first look that seems enticing to me. That would make all the liberal leaning media provide a more fair and balanced approach to the news. May be we could get away from the slanted news all news outlets seem to use.
But at the same time, this idea flies in the face of one of the most basic freedoms in our Constitution, that of free speech.
I must admit that on the surface a fairness doctrine for all the news outlets looks pretty good. Then all the news outlets from Fox news to CNN have to give both sides of an issue a chance to have equal time. That would mean that WE THE PEOPLE would get a more balanced product from the news.
But as you did into it you come to realize that this would be a huge intrusion into the free speech rights of all Americans.
Now I may not like the way a news outlet presents its news. I may not like the way the news is skewed to one political side or the other. But you the listener always have the option of changing the channel or turning the TV or radio off. I have news outlets I never watch due to the obvious slant they put on their news. That is my right. That news outlet has just as much right to present the news in any manner they chose consistent with journalistic ethics.
Ultimately whether a news outlet continues to present the news with a certain political slant depends upon how many viewers they get. The number of viewers determines the advertising rates and thus income to the company.
If you don’t like CNN…don’t watch. If you don’t like Rush Limbaugh…don’t listen. But I don’t need the federal government telling me, a private citizen, what kind of news I am allowed to watch and/or how fair they have to be. If I don’t like it…I won’t watch/listen to it. The decision is mine not Uncle Sam’s.
Not to mention now there is a move within the legislature and the FCC to apply this fairness doctrine to the internet. I always thought that www stood for the “world wide web”. What gives us the right to tell the rest of the world how they have to run their websites and its content?
I want everyone to take notice of who is behind this movement to bring the fairness doctrine back to life. It is the democrat party folks. They are the ones that are trying to silence you and me. If they go through with the plan, then the sites where I post this blog will have to find people to submit content from the opposing view point. Even if there are no people submitting such content.
In short the so called “Fairness Doctrine” is only fair to incumbent politicians. They will be allowed to control to news content and to offset those that may speak against them within the public sphere. The Fairness Doctrine is NOT fair to WE THE PEOPLE.
Keep your eyes open people. They will try and package this thing in a way that tries to hide what they are up to. Make sure your elected officials know that you are opposed to any kind of fairness doctrine in news reporting.
What this basically says is that radio, TV and other media outlets have to provide a both sides of an issue equal time during interviews and debate over these issues.
No at first look that seems enticing to me. That would make all the liberal leaning media provide a more fair and balanced approach to the news. May be we could get away from the slanted news all news outlets seem to use.
But at the same time, this idea flies in the face of one of the most basic freedoms in our Constitution, that of free speech.
I must admit that on the surface a fairness doctrine for all the news outlets looks pretty good. Then all the news outlets from Fox news to CNN have to give both sides of an issue a chance to have equal time. That would mean that WE THE PEOPLE would get a more balanced product from the news.
But as you did into it you come to realize that this would be a huge intrusion into the free speech rights of all Americans.
Now I may not like the way a news outlet presents its news. I may not like the way the news is skewed to one political side or the other. But you the listener always have the option of changing the channel or turning the TV or radio off. I have news outlets I never watch due to the obvious slant they put on their news. That is my right. That news outlet has just as much right to present the news in any manner they chose consistent with journalistic ethics.
Ultimately whether a news outlet continues to present the news with a certain political slant depends upon how many viewers they get. The number of viewers determines the advertising rates and thus income to the company.
If you don’t like CNN…don’t watch. If you don’t like Rush Limbaugh…don’t listen. But I don’t need the federal government telling me, a private citizen, what kind of news I am allowed to watch and/or how fair they have to be. If I don’t like it…I won’t watch/listen to it. The decision is mine not Uncle Sam’s.
Not to mention now there is a move within the legislature and the FCC to apply this fairness doctrine to the internet. I always thought that www stood for the “world wide web”. What gives us the right to tell the rest of the world how they have to run their websites and its content?
I want everyone to take notice of who is behind this movement to bring the fairness doctrine back to life. It is the democrat party folks. They are the ones that are trying to silence you and me. If they go through with the plan, then the sites where I post this blog will have to find people to submit content from the opposing view point. Even if there are no people submitting such content.
In short the so called “Fairness Doctrine” is only fair to incumbent politicians. They will be allowed to control to news content and to offset those that may speak against them within the public sphere. The Fairness Doctrine is NOT fair to WE THE PEOPLE.
Keep your eyes open people. They will try and package this thing in a way that tries to hide what they are up to. Make sure your elected officials know that you are opposed to any kind of fairness doctrine in news reporting.
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