No To The Radio Station Bailout

On May 19, The Hill reported that numerous lawmakers were urging the Treasury department to “prop up” struggling minority-owned broadcasters. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), claim that minority-owned broadcasters have “sound businesses, but that the recession could undermine the government’s efforts to diversify the airwaves.” Members of the Congressional Black Caucus signed the letter as well.

The First Amendment dictates that we have freedom of speech. This means the government cannot step in when it feels appropriate and tell us what we can and cannot say, as long as we are not having a direct negative effect on other people (yelling "fire" in a theater, threatening someone, etc.). The aforementioned representatives have essentially said that some speech is more important than others, which is not something the government should be doing. Freedom of speech is not dictated by race, sex, height, weight etc. To try and make it as such is to step well over the boundaries of government.