Freedom of Speech--If You Afford It

As a longtime Huntington Beach resident, I find myself totally embarrassed and disgusted by the actions of our representative, Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), in his testimony before the recent congressional hearing, in which he is trying to cut funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

I think Rohrabacher misjudges the intelligence of all of us here in Huntington Beach in his attacking PBS for appealing to the cultural elite--as if this was something awfully disgusting. Someone ought to tell Rohrabacher that most of his constituents here in Huntington Beach are not exactly uncultured dummies.

Rohrabacher cringes at the thought that ideas are being aired on PBS that he does not approve of. This tells you what Rohrabacher’s idea of freedom of speech is, to wit, freedom of speech should only be available to those who have the money to pay for it (witness the plethora of right-wing radio talk shows today).

Having Huntington Beach’s station KOCE under control of commercial sponsors, who could manipulate what is being shown on the channel by threatening to withdraw their sponsorship, is unacceptable. A free country should always allow dissenting opinions, and what will be left if PBS is silenced?

JAMES R. GALLAGHER

Huntington Beach