Editor,
Response to S. O’Shea regarding myopic view of free speech rights. While I agree and DEFENDED, with my fellow veterans, that we all have the right to our freedom of expression of our opinion. The cast of “Hamilton,” specifically actor Dixon, was not exercising his free speech but was hijacking the stage director’s platform to address an audience that paid dearly to attend a play and not be lectured.
Having been an airline captain for 38 years I don’t think Ms. O’Shea or any other liberals defending the 1st Amendment would think that it would be proper to give my free expression of constitutional rights and liberties to my passengers while they were captive seven miles high. It is my PA and I was free to say whatever I deemed appropriate to the numerous senators, congressmen, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Hollywood liberal and conservative celebrities aboard my command. I recognize that it is NOT my platform and my passengers did not pay to hear my opinion of current day events. I am afforded the public address to perform the duties of captaining them safely to their destinations. Nor would my employer look kindly on my exercise of my rights.
Just as bus drivers, police with their car bullhorns, grocery clerks checking your groceries, music artists, nurses/doctors attending your injuries, any of the other myriad of persons, and yes, actors, we come in contact with each day looking to perform a service for the public. If they or Ms. O’Shea want to express their opinion to anyone and everyone than they can leave the platform they were entrusted to provide their duties and walk outside and bloviate on the street with the rest of the freedom-loving public. I, also, deserve the same right to reject that opinion as they do to pontificate it and not be captive to their opinions that I did not pay nor desire to hear.
Actor Dixon is hardly the spokesperson for civil liberties. Love to hear Ms. O’Shea’s opinion of this vaunted misogynistic characterization of white women. But then he has the freedom to express that opinion, just not on his employer’s domain. Wonder why he doesn’t shout that from the producer’s stage to all his audiences.
JC Davis, Carmel