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The Lonsberry comments concerning the Young Mother’s Program drew a fire from local leaders. While I am not advocating the Lonsberry comments, we must not be hypocritical when it comes to others’ free speech. Our First Amendment’s “free speech” clause is one of the most unclear and debated from the originalists perspective. Even though in the Reno v. ACLU 1997 case that gives over-the-airwaves speech limited constitutional protections when it comes to free discourse, Mr. Lonsberry has a personal right to express his opinions just like any other citizens as a form of a moral concept.
Preachers are to be the last ones to criticize others for free speech. As a minister, I would not like my speech censored so I must agree that others’ competing ideas are worthy of expression. School administrators must also look at their own propagated ideas when it comes to education. When educators teach children that they are not made in the image of God, but rather have descended from apes is far more offensive. I do not hear preachers calling on teachers to resign or boycotting publishers for including such Darwinian concepts in textbooks.
As an African-American I do agree with the abstinence objective. I promote education and do realize we make mistakes, but to encourage pregnancy at a young age that prolong the chances of continued poverty in the minority community is not a wise model.
Lonsberry’s comments did not cause people to engage in unlawful conduct which would have made his statement punishable. Nor did he target a certain individual for the purposes of defamation. He expressed a competing moral idea which is totally protected under the First Amendment.
Rev. Dr. Tommy Davis, D.D.C.S.
Chief of Chaplains, NY Jurisdiction
Chaplain Fellowship Ministries
Certified First Responder/Emergency Service Chaplain
Homeland Crisis Institute
All POW-MIA
12 responses so far ↓
1 rochester_veteran // Jun 17, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Tommy,
It’s amazing the people who are calling for the suppression of First Amendment rights, because they disagree with the person’s views that’s doing the speaking.
I didn’t care for the harsh way Lonsberry delivered his message, but the basic premise of the message was valid. Why are we awarding mistakes and at best, mediocrity?
2 phantomlord // Jun 17, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Note that the crowd calling for Lonsberry to be silenced is the same crowd who threw a hissy fit that not all of them got to tell the Monroe County Legislature off when they did their jobs and appointed a new DA.
To them, freedom of speech is only a valid issue if your speech agrees with theirs.
3 phantomlord // Jun 17, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Also note that Obama is basically calling for the reintroduction of the Fairness Doctrine, which states that any television or radio outlet which engages in political discussion must have an equal amount of discussion favoring the opposite point of view.
That is, they’re royally ticked that the radio waves largely belong to conservatives of various stripes like Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, etc while the liberal efforts never gain traction. We’ll totally ignore why they don’t gain a following (it’s because most of them are absolutely vile in their hate and rhetoric, so they can’t find sponsors who want to pay them… because they can’t get listeners), we must silence conservative outlets because we can’t get our message across.
Again, freedom of speech only when it’s their speech.
4 rochester_veteran // Jun 17, 2008 at 6:19 pm
phantomlord said:
the crowd calling for Lonsberry to be silenced is the same crowd who threw a hissy fit that not all of them got to tell the Monroe County Legislature off when they did their jobs and appointed a new DA.
It’s the same folks that have been propagating the victim/entitlement attitude in the City neighborhoods as well. Playing the victim card only goes so far. Responsibility and self-reliance will sustain oneself for a lifetime of dignity.
5 Tommy // Jun 18, 2008 at 10:36 am
I agree with you all. These things are just so simple. If I were on the radio I would be called a house negroe and everything else. But as soon as I lash back then people want to complain. Some of these people even complained about my articles in the D&C.
6 Mike // Jun 18, 2008 at 1:28 pm
James Lawrence wants to compare Bob Lonsberry to a gangsta rapper now. This guy is delusional about gangsta rap. I rarely hear of it on the radio and on MTV. If JL cared about his community, he would be denouncing the unaccountability that has plagued his city for years. Jean Claude Brizard is paid good money and what he can show is a 38% graduation rate and a depository full of rotting books. The focus of Lawrence’s wrath is, as usual, messed up. I guess he was tired of making editorial after editorial praising Barack Obama and needed a new thing to piss and moan about for the next month.
7 rochester_veteran // Jun 18, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Mike,
Do me a favor and post the link to James Lawrence’s comentary/blog on the Bob Lonsberry as a gangsta rapper comparison.
Not that Brizard shouldn’t have an opinion on the matter, but to call for the silencing of Lonsberry was out of line and hypocritical. You’re correct, Brizards focus should be on improving that horrendous 38% graduation rate, not calling for the firing of a talk radio host.
8 Mike // Jun 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/OPINION0104/806180365&s=d&page=#pluckcomments There it is Roch_Vet. It is a real hoot, and typical of Lawrence’s delusions about his self righteousness and ignorance of his own double standards
9 rochester_veteran // Jun 18, 2008 at 5:57 pm
I just read it. Thanks for providing the link for us, Mike.
sigh
I know there’s animosity towards James Lawrence due to his editorials. No way is Lonsberry’s commentary equivalent to gangsta rap. I’ve already stated that I didn’t care for the way Lonsberry delivered his message, I wouldn’t have done it in the manner he did. But the underlying message was valid. Out of basic human compassion, I wouldn’t throw those girls to the curb, they really need an education to climb out of the rut they dug themselves into, but special awards presentations and press coverage was over the top and a positive validation of a screw-up. There’s too much of that happening nowadays and it isn’t helping the people that are screwing up.
James Lawrence tried to help us Westside folks last year when RGRTA canceled our Route 95 bus route. I had a good email exchange with him and he tried to put RGRTA CEO Mark Aesch on the hot seat for his decision to cut our bus route, and screw over residents of Leroy, Bergen, Churchville, North Chili and Westside Dr. residents of a public transportation alternative that is no longer available. Aesch is an arrogant dude and the way his company handled the cancellation of our bus route was underhanded and dishonest. Now that gas is well over $4 a gallon, there’s a bunch of people on the Westside that RGRTA abandoned. James Lawrence tried to help us out, but it was to no avail.
James was way off base comparing Lonsberry’s on-air rant to gangsta rap, but I do remember that he tried to help us Westsiders.
10 phoenixrising // Jun 26, 2008 at 8:18 am
Hello Rochesterconservative- I found this site by searching for more blog comments regarding the recent Bob Lonsberry controversy. I hope you’ll allow me to share my thoughts regarding Mr. Lonsberry and the community’s reaction to him.
I’ve been an avid reader of the community’s comments since the day he broadcast his opinions on The Urban League’s Black Scholar’s Program and the RCSD’s Young Mother’s Program. Honestly, the varying degrees of disagreement in the community have never been so apparent. Perhaps it’s due to Lonsberry speaking of race and class in terms of children this time.
Regardless, I must say that a couple of things continue to strike me. Regardless of political beliefs, it hasn’t struck many that some of the young mothers may not have chosen nor planned to have sex. My question- in a case of rape, do conservative views regarding this Young Mothers Program change?
I do not support those who call for Lonsberry’s firing. However, if I were his employer, I would demand he research the subjects on which he opinionates in the future.
When reading through community members’ writings it is apparent that the majority have no understanding of the Black Scholars Program. Most don’t even realize it is a scholarship program set up by The Urban League and not a RCSD program.
Lonsberry’s message, delivered with crass, inappropriate language and littered with opinions not substantiated by facts, didn’t promote civil discourse or dialogue. Instead, his words were once again completely divisive. And once again, the community is left reeling in angry, bitter debate.
If someone recognizes a need for change, surely a man of Lonsberry’s age and experience would recognize the value of real discussion, discourse. In this case, in many cases with his show, my cynism screams that he exploits the multiple divisions in our community to grab ratings and increase his paycheck.
Thank you.
11 Tommy Davis // Jun 26, 2008 at 10:55 am
phoenixrising,
You make some valid points. It is always fruitful to ingage in good dialogue. Lonesberry’s comments are his own and mature leaders in the community should be able to build off both negative and positive comments. Let’s face it, the moral side of business profits have been set aside by some. But it should not get in the way of those promoting a diffrent scholar’s path.
African-Americans have triumphed despite harsh discrimination and included opinions. But often those opinions were based on an incorrect view of anthropology.
Lonesberry comments—though a bit harsh—do have some validity.
12 phantomlord // Jun 27, 2008 at 10:44 am
How many of the mothers are there because they were raped? 1%? 5%? I doubt we’re talking about 95% or even 50%. So, do we really have to judge the program based on the exception rather than the norm?
Now, as for the Urban League’s Black Scholar program, whether or not it is run by an outside entity doesn’t change the fact that it is (racially) discriminatory by nature and name. The problems associated with urban poverty are not restricted to black people - there are plenty of white, hispanic, etc children who have succeeded despite living in a bad environment.
As for Lonsberry’s comments NOT provoking civil discourse and dialog, the fact that we’re all here maturing discussing this (as well as on dozens of othe sites) actually goes to show that he DID generate civil discourse and dialog. Granted, it did it by acting like a 15 year old, but he did it never the less.
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