First Amendment issue????

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Admin Edit-
I wanted Gary to post this because I thought everyone should know.

It is really more about suppression of gun sites on the net than a 1A issue, IMO.
At any rate, STAY FOCUSED on the topic, and STAY OFF the forbidden topics, period. Plenty of dings available.
from the rules-
The following topics are BANNED on this Board:
Abortion
Religion
Racial issues
Gay rights/homosexuality
General LEO bashing
Political Discussion and Comment
Do NOT participate in discussion of banned topics.



////////////////////////////////////
original post:



Private business isn't covered under the 1st Amendment that is reserved for government. But when private individuals stifle unfettered speech although it is their right, it certainly bodes ill for all involved.
GO Daddy had a right to knock the AR15 forum off their server, hosting or whatever but I have an issue over what has become a defacto public utility proscribing certain types of speech. Kinda like the phone company cutting service if you are of a particular bent politically.
Read the link and make your own conclusions but this scares the snot out of me as it should all like minded individuals. Would LOVE to see the ACLU get involved but I am not holding my breath. As one old cajun once told me for some reason the ACLU views the 2nd Amendment as a carbuncle on the back side of the Bill of Rights. So I guess the 1st Amendment does not apply to the 2nd TIs a shame.
The Biggest Gun Forum Just Kicked Off The Internet Without Explanation

Please let the discussion center around this issue only and not about who is or isn't in the white house. PLEASE
Gary

 

[Muss Muggins]

I don’t know much about how a website gets hosted, but I’m gonna guess that GoDaddy ain’t the only avenue for the AR15 Forum to get on the interweb. If it is, then maybe we have a story . . .

 

[johngross]

"If you deny to anyone else the right to say what you think is wrong, it will not be long before you will lose the right to say what you think is right. Defense of the freedom of others is self-defense."

Collier’s magazine, November 4, 1922.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I can probably prove that you don’t really believe that with a single question . . .

"If you deny to anyone else the right to say what you think is wrong, it will not be long before you will lose the right to say what you think is right. Defense of the freedom of others is self-defense."

Collier’s magazine, November 4, 1922.

 

[pawngal]

I've had a similar experience with website building/hosting companies.
I was contacted by a company which I was already doing business with thru Yellow Book advertising. They wanted to build & host a new website for my business. Started working on it, then Ooops! No firearms, pictures or informartion.
Went to my current company and discovered that I was eligible for a website re-build so did that. No additional cost other than my monthly fee.

I don't sell firearms from the website, just give information regarding background checks, CC permits, and safety.

The interesting thing about this is, the company that said No Firearms is located in Texas. The one that allows all the pictures and firearms info is in California!

 

[Telecaster]

If AR15.com didn't violate the terms of service, then GoDaddy is in the wrong. Or, if GoDaddy's terms include cancelling a customer for no reason, then they're jerks.

Government doesn't govern; the giant monopolies took over that function.

 

[Puller]

Kinda funny how some of these folks who think that gun forums are bad and should be banned also think some perversions I won't mention are protected under the 1st.

 

[Hiram Jr]

I seem to remember the founder of godaddy being a big-game hunter.

 

[Doug627]

I have been very concerned about the censoring of certain speech for some time by the internet giants. Are they licensed to operate by the United States government? I have watched CEOs of these entities being called before congress. If they are licensed, I would like to see the license and laws governing their operations. If there is a clause saying they cannot block political speech perhaps there is something that can be done. Obviously, calls for violence or killing officeholders is not going to be protected speech. Remember folks, it's not always what you are saying that violates a rule but how you say it.

 

[Telecaster]

They need no license, and that's how it should be.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Yes, nobody thought that Big Brother would come as erstwhile private corporations.

 

[REM 3200]

Maybe I am missing something or don't understand, but AR-15.com is still up and running.

 

[dockmurgw]

AR15 forum has plenty of other options, and according to the article they found one fast. Just like this forum, GoDaddy is free to do as they please. They don't hold a monopoly on anything.

A Note on Freedom of Speech

 

[Ziggy2525]

I don't think the current issues with GoDaddy, Amazon AWS, and Twitter are 1A issues, since they're private companies and not government orgs. Depending on market share, I think there may be anti-trust issues.

 

[Ματθιας]

I don’t know much about how a website gets hosted, but I’m gonna guess that GoDaddy ain’t the only avenue for the AR15 Forum to get on the interweb. If it is, then maybe we have a story . . .

That's not the point.

I don't know if you've been paying attention or not or maybe you just don't care, but it's happening to more and more folks, and businesses who aren't PC nor toe the ideological line - the cancel culture, censoring.

The story is that GoDaddy booted them off for "violation of terms of service" and that the site “both promotes and encourages violence" yet offered no explanation, no examples, no appeal and no notice.

How would you like that to happen to your website or business because the host doesn't agree with you or your opinions?

The point is - if it can happen to AR15.com , it can happen to this website.

 

[Ugly Hombre]

Its really bad now, quite shocking to see the surpression of free speech and thought. I am re- reading a biography of Mao.

"Mao the untold story"

Seems like deja vue all over again...

Dark winter indeed ahead I fear.

 

[DeathGrip]

The media's been lying to us for years. Now that were living in the "information age" they have to cover their asses.

 

[arjay]

What’s stopping someone else from hosting them?

 

[Ziggy2525]

That's not the point.

I don't know if you've been paying attention or not or maybe you just don't care, but it's happening to more and more folks, and businesses who aren't PC nor toe the ideological line - the cancel culture, censoring.

The story is that GoDaddy booted them off for "violation of terms of service" and that the site “both promotes and encourages violence" yet offered no explanation, no examples, no appeal and no notice.

How would you like that to happen to your website or business because the host doesn't agree with you or your opinions?

The point is - if it can happen to AR15.com , it can happen to this website.

Sure, but that's a contractual issue, not a constitutional one.

Where it may become a problem for GoDaddy and whoever hosts the S&W Forum is if they control such a big market share that they are using their market share to control behavior. That's what happened to Microsoft with Internet Explorer, right?

 

[s&wchad]

The point is - if it can happen to AR15.com , it can happen to this website.

I don’t like what happened to AR15.com, but we’re quite a bit different.

This board is monitored closely. Our rules against political discussion and contempt for elected officials may well have saved us from the same problems.

We’d like to stay here, share knowledge and enjoy the comradery of our members. Your continued cooperation is appreciated!