Re: Boycott O'Reilly

[bradcathey]

Egads! Unbelievable OP. All I can say, adding to the wonderful replies above, is: 1) what's wrong with hackers? Oh, how I long to be one; 2) ever heard of the 1st Amendment? O'Reilly is US; 3) and with all the stuff that really should be boycotted, why even think of boycotting a company that publishes some of the finest tomes on programming and related topics in the world, first class stuff. Too difficult for beginners? Well, there's always the Visual Quickstart Guides {tongue in cheek}.

[Abigail-II]

<peeve type = "pet">

ever heard of the 1st Amendment? O'Reilly is US;

Yes, what about it? The first amendment is waved like a magic wand all the time, most of the time unappropriately. Let me quote it for all those non-US people (all US people do know the text, don't they? (cynical laughter)).

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Pay attention to the first word. Is it involved here? Nope. Can we then wave with the first amendment? Sure, but it doesn't have any more effect than waving some blank papers, all it does is making a small breeze.
</peeve>

why even think of boycotting a company that publishes some of the finest tomes on programming and related topics in the world, first class stuff.

Eh, this was about boycotting O'Reilly. Not companies that publish the finest tomes on programming. ;-)

Abigail

[bradcathey]

Okay, okay Abigail-II and hardburn. My bad-- I also normally cringe when people trot out the 1st admendment. Just like when I hear the words," separation of church and state" which is not in the Constitution, period. So your points are well-taken, my points: O'Reilly can do what they want and when you have that large of a body of work, leave 'em alone.

Big question: I wonder if the W3 is gonna support the new tag <peeve.... Abigail-II continues to amaze...she closed the tag.

[jryan]

Just like when I hear the words," separation of church and state" which is not in the Constitution, period.

What exactly do you think "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" means?

[Anonymous Monk]

Yes, there is nothing that reads "seperation of church and state." The word "privacy" is also missing from the Constitution, but if you actually read the Constitution a right to privacy and a seperation of Church and State can be interpreted.

[hardburn]

ever heard of the 1st Amendment?

Adding to what Abigail-II said, the 1st Amendment only applies to the government. Individuals have the right to choose to stop buying from a company for any reason they want, and have a right to pursuade others to do so (which is also protected under the 1st Amendment). As it happens, the rest of us have a right to think Wassercrats is a kook and likewise pursuade others to do so.

[ysth]

Individuals have the right to choose to stop buying from a company for any reason they want

According to a quick reading of some stuff here:http://www.bxa.doc.gov/antiboycottcompliance/oacrequirements.html there is legislation penalizing US citizens or corporations for participating in unsanctioned (by Uncle Sam) boycotts led by foreign governments and requiring reporting to the US of requests to honor such a boycott.

Scary stuff.