Controversial ad is freedom of speech issue

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January 30, 2010

Anonymous The Union-Recorder Sat Jan 30, 2010, 08:00 AM EST

Super Sunday is one of the most honored and observed American “holidays” in modern history. Millions of Americans in North America make a day of watching a football game and visiting with family and friends to see which team will prevail on the gridiron. Even a very high percentage of the members of the U.S. military deployed overseas will find a way to watch The Game, including those in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and elsewhere.

As the Colts and Saints compete for a coveted Super Bowl ring, there is another high stakes contest being played out that will have a more serious impact on Americans long after the game is in the history books. The issue is one of Americans’ fundamental constitutional rights, specifically freedom of speech.

This Super Bowl Sunday may or may not produce a memorable or high quality game, but you can bet the commercials will be first rate. There is one commercial that has already generated all sorts of attention because some people don’t like the content of the message. It is about a young woman in a very tough spot who made a choice, the choice to take a chance on a high-risk pregnancy and have her baby despite her doctor’s advice to the contrary.

The child grew up to be Tim Tebow, Pam Tebow’s fifth and certainly most famous child. Today, Tim is all grown up at 6’3”, 240 lbs. He’s the quarterback for the Florida Gators, helped his team earn two national titles and is the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy. Tim and his mother have a message they want presented during the Super Bowl called “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.”

In an attempt to control the marketplace of ideas, some people would like to silence those who have opposing points of view. The AP reported a “national coalition of women’s groups called on CBS on Monday to scrap ... the ad.” It is obvious that abortion is a controversial subject in the United States, but the issues surrounding the Tebows’ ad include the right to free speech. If the Tebows’ receive funding to pay CBS for 30 seconds of air time to express their views and tell their story, they should have every right to do so without interference.

The concept of stifling opposing points of view is in practice in many parts of the world today. North Korea, Iran, Cuba and other such countries think it is foolish to allow dissenting voices and make sure only “approved” information is allowed for public dissemination. This is clearly in conflict with our Constitutional values of free speech and civility in the public arena of opinions. If the Tebows are intimidated or CBS succumbs to pressure groups who want to control what we hear then who will be the next victim of pressure groups? Would you consider it acceptable for someone with a different opinion to silence you? That’s what is at stake with this sort of issue.

Fortunately our country was founded with the idea that, “Congress shall make no laws … abridging freedom of speech, or of the press....” And remember, if you really don’t like the Tebows’ ad you can always change the channel.

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