Signed it !

Done!

While I certainly would like to see Pat Robertson off the air, this is folly.  The cable channel that became ABC Family started out as the Christian Broadcasting Network.  As part of the sale of the CBN cable channel, they became contractually obligated to air The 700 Club several times a day.  My understanding is the network made attempts to purchase the network without this stipulation and the offer was rejected.  You may ask why didn't ABC Family just create a new channel.  The reason is, getting a new channel on all the different cable and satellite providers is both costly and time consuming.  Usually new channels are brought into the lineup because during contract negotiations they force the cable/satellite provider to take the new channel by making it a package deal.  ABC/Disney could certainly do that now, but they'd essentially have to start a new channel and eliminate this one at a later date.

I wouldn't do anything to stop anyone from their right to free speech.  I don't want anyone trying to stop me from speaking openly, and protecting my right to do so requires that everyone else's right is protected, too.  It doesn't matter if it's done on TV or not.  It doesn't matter if I agree with what's said. 

Many people believe being gay is wrong.  Many people also believe being a Christian is wrong.  It's their right to say so, just as it's anyone's right to openly disagree.  If openly expressing your beliefs isn't allowed, then a lot of things would never happen, like the creation of Gay Authors.

I don't agree with anti-gay people like Mr. Robertson, but it's his right, and an important one, to express his beliefs.  George Washington, who I'm sure you know, said “If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

Just as we have the right to express our disagreement with the opinions of others, they have the right to be heard just like we do.

Censorship in any form is the foundation of tyranny.  Freedom is the most valuable idea of all ideas, and anything that lessens it is a step toward oppression and dictatorship.

In the end, I wouldn't try to silence anyone, because I value my right not to be silenced.  That is the foundation of a free society, and without it our freedom will disappear.

Ghostie and AJ-

I'm not trying to silence Pat Robertson. I'm trying to make it more difficult to stand in front of his audience of shut-ins and demented old people and call gay people child molesters and compare our relationships with bestiality.

If I can cause friction between ABC, ABC Family and the 666 Club, I will.

If Pattie boy wants to spread hate, let him do it on his own dime on an obscure network no one has ever heard of. Not on the one parents program their remote controllers to allow their kids to see because it says FAMILY in its name.

We have friends at ABC that will be just as appalled at the child molester/bestiality comments that we are. Maybe they'll look at their deal, find an out and say fuck you Pattie.

I'm all for free speech. No one is immune from blow back from hate speech.

James

I did sign but I'm guessing the network hasn't tried removing RoERTson because they figure no one watches anyway, which can't be far from the truth.

My kids don't watch 700 Club but if they did, they'd come to me freaking out that a mean man was saying gay people can't have flowers. I'm guessing Robertson's views are more easily absorbed by kids who are cut off from the world and secular life.