[NOTE: the CNN Business report cited below deals with an abortion rights vote coming in Florida. But this blog post, while not discounting the importance of that issue, is focused on a judge in a related lawsuit. More specifically, on a ruling he issued last week. Even more, on a five-word summary of the basis for the decision, which echoes like a thunderclap. The rest is needful context, but the aphorism will, I believe, be what is remembered long after the details have receded into the mists.]
. . . “It’s the First Amendment, stupid.”
That’s what a federal judge wrote Thursday (October 17) as he sided with local TV stations in an extraordinary dispute over a pro-abortion rights television ad. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker of the Northern District of Florida granted a temporary restraining order against Florida’s surgeon general after the state health department threatened to bring criminal charges against broadcasters airing the ad.[/caption]
Continue reading Quote of the Month: “It’s the First Amendment, stupid”
[NOTE: In my view, Wikipedia is just about the best thing in the web. I consult it almost every day, donate when they ask, and respect what seems to be their increasing credibility and comprehensiveness as a source of reliable information.