What, she’s still around?

Apparently she is…but not for much longer, not on the radio anyhow. Because, as she told Larry King (what, he’s still around?), she has decided against renewing her contract, as she is tired of not being able to fully exercise her First Amendment rights.

Some of the usual suspects have responded with their usual lectures about what the First Amendment is and is not. It’s clear enough what she was trying to convey, though: Dr. Laura wishes to be able to exercise her First Amendment rights without worrying about blowback from her sponsors. Fair enough. Even those of us of a vastly more modest station, such as your humble Blog Goliard, can experience frustration over the things we would wish to say but cannot. And he can summon up a small bit of sympathy for a woman who has for years faced a relentless campaign against her…one that has shown itself capable of the same hate and intolerance it accuses her of having.

But only a small bit. For one thing, no one forced her into the arena. For another, she’s held on to her nationally-syndicated radio show for, what, 15-20 years? Put out a newsletter and numerous books that sold scads of copies? Had a TV show for awhile?

Yes, it would just kill your humble Blog Goliard to have such severe obstacles in his way when all he seeks is the freedom to speak his mind and the ability to have his little voice heard for once. (And that’s not even mentioning the added inhumanity of being paid millions of dollars to face those challenges.)

There have always been plenty of reasons to politely decline Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s offers of moral advice. Now there’s at least one more.