Our venerable federal representatives are considering requiring the FCC to re-implement the "Fairness" doctrine. Recall that this regulation required broadcasters to provide "equal time for opposing views'"  The objective being to enhance the right to free speech. The regulation served to do the exact opposite. In requiring broadcasters to provide equal time the regulation forced them to broadcast things for which they could not make even the money needed to cover the cost of providing air time. This forced them into doing one of two things, both of which served to LIMIT free speech rather than enhance it. They would either have to charge more for the airtime of popular broadcasts to cover their losses or change to a format that where they would not need to provide equal time. In the first case, the increased cost of airtime served to prohibit some who could not afford the air time even though their message was popular.  in the second case changing to. say an all music format, where there would be no need for "equal time" served to eliminate an opportunity to get the message out.

For me the bottom line is that "FAIRNESS" is totally subjective and therefore can never be regulated by laws. Life itself is not fair! I see no where in our constitution where we are guaranteed the right to be fairly treated! Our basic rights are neatly summed up by the Deceleration of Independence: The right to life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness.  Our constitution backs that up with specifics, including the right to free speech. Note that we only have the right to PURSUE happiness and not the right to happiness itself.

As i see it  the Federal Government has unconstitutionally assumed the power to regulate speech under the nebulous guise of "Fairness."  Fairness to whom?, Fairness for whom? Who gets to define what fairness is?  All this can and has leads to the courts in our legal system defining what is fair!  One or a small group of men now chart the course of free speech. The government has NO RIGHT and NO AUTHORITY to regulate speech or for that matter fairness. Unless and until there is a constitutional amendment allowing for such regulation, any attempt to do so is illegal.

Yes I fully recognize that freedom of speech does not give one the right to yell fire in a crowded theater. But that has nothing to do with fairness and has every thing to do with safety security.   Also the market place of ideas exists in spite of whether people like the ideas or hate them and this can not be regulated - even total dictatorships can not effectively do that. Fair and balanced is a social concept and not a legal one and has no place in our laws. Equality under the law covers all we need to have in our legal system. Equality under the law ensures us of the right to be treated equally and justly under the law NOT FAIRLY as the law itself can not be judged by this undefinable concept.

Once again our society has been deceived by the manipulation of words, in this case fairness has  replaced equality and justice. Our more liberal friends have succeeded in duping most of us into believing that we have a right to being treated "fairly" when no such right or guarantee exists. Only children fight over what is fair, adults fight over what is just and equitable.