Hank Williams, Jr. was fired — permanently — by ESPN after the aging singer and GOP Senatorial hopeful while speaking on Fox News compared President Obama to Hitler and referred to the President as “the enemy.â€
“We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams, Jr,” ESPN said in a statement. “We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue,” attempting to move focus away from politics.
But Hank Williams, Jr., on his website, claiming he made the first move, writes,
AFTER ESPN SUSPENDS HANK JR. FOR ONE-WEEK, HANK JR. DECIDES TO PULL HIS SONG FROM BEING USED ON ESPN FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON!
“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment
Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.†— Hank Williams Jr[sic]
Note that Williams says he quits — for the rest of the season, but ESPN says, forever. Buh-bye.
Apparently, Hank Williams, Jr. doesn’t understand the Constitution and the First Amendment.
In typical Sarah Palin style, Williams thinks that he has the right to say whatever he wants, whenever he wants, without consequence. Unlike millions of Americans who go to work every day (those lucky enough to be able to) Williams doesn’t understand that his opinions aren’t welcome everywhere. And employee in corporate America, from someone cooking burgers at McDonald’s, to a store manager, to the CEO of a major corporation knows their comments are subject to civility and respect and if you say something evil, hateful, and disgusting, especially about another person, you might just lose your job for that.
That’s not a violation of the First Amendment — which merely states that the government cannot create a law that curtails speech.
In an article titled, “Hank Williams Jr. Doesn’t Quite Get the First Amendment,” New York Magazine writes that Williams, “capitalizing whatever words he felt deserved capitalization,” “makes a common mistake here.”
Williams was and is free to make whatever Hitler analogies he so desires. He can write a new country song called “President Obama Is Just Like Hitler” if he wants to and play it at his next concert. But ESPN isn’t bound by the First Amendment to associate with him. The First Amendment doesn’t protect anyone from the repercussions of their own stupidity.
Considering all the people currently engaged in Occupy Wall Street and similar protests, it’s especially savory to see Williams get the boot. People are starving and homeless and who knows how many millions of dollars Williams “earned” off that one song. It’s great to see that not only does Hank Williams, Jr. not respect it, himself, or his country, but he is left scratching his head, and, apparently, unemployed.
Good riddance.