Actions have Consequences - Or, How Free Speech can get Really Expensive

Seems that there is a brouhaha bubbling about the A&E network's decision to suspend a star of one of its insipid TV shows for comments said star made to a "magazine".

First off, the "programming" peddled by this A&E network has been routinely terrible for a long time. I honestly cannot remember the last show I watched on the A&E network. They have moved the programming I generally like to History or the Discovery group.

Second, print "magazines" still exist? Who knew?

Finally, regardless of what you may think of the Duck-Dork's opinion, he does have the Constitutional Right to express them in any manner he chooses. He could have done a naked interpretive dance on the fifty yard line of Tiger Stadium and it would have still been protected as free speech.

What the Duck-Doofus does not have is a protected right to freedom from repercussions.

No one does.

If the A&E network's marketing schmucks feel that paraphrasing the bible is against their religion, and offends a core advertising demographic, the A&E network has every right to remove the offender from their programming. (Or cancel the silly show altogether.)

Also, if the A&E network's marketing schmucks have mis-understood their advertising demographic and a subsequent boycott and protest causes them to rethink their suspension of the Duck-Dingbat, that is just fine, too.

I guess what it comes down to is this, "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and has the right to express it. But if you have one that conflicts with your employer's current worldview, you might reconsider expressing it if you rely on that employer for your chosen lifestyle."