I can’t believe what Mayor Bill Peduto (and Pittsburgh City Council) are proposing — declaring that radio broadcasting must cease in the Pittsburgh region. They state that TV, iPhone, text messaging, magazines and newspapers will still be freely available. It only amounts to 20 percent or so of a rescission of our First Amendment rights. What’s the big deal? Many people seem to agree with him. The radio call-in shows have just gotten to be too controversial. Many of the callers are filled with hate, and this outlandish behavior has to be reined in.
Wait, what’s that you say? My bad! It’s the Second Amendment that he wants to restrict. Well, that must be OK then. What’s a few thousand people, more or less, who suddenly become lawbreakers overnight? And it’s only 20 percent of your Second Amendment rights.
Sure, lose 20 percent of the Second Amendment; 20 percent of the First Amendment; maybe later, 30 percent of the Fifth Amendment (he’ll force you to testify against your spouse, but graciously, still not against yourself). After all, he has to personally update that darn ol’ (hand-written, no less) Constitution in our technically advanced civilization.
Don Carrera
Penn Township, Westmoreland County