So Dumb, Even a Caveman Wouldn't Do It

Let me pass along a bit of common sense that apparently never occurred to actor Lance Baxter: if your career hinges on the public liking you—or at least not being offended by you—it is probably best that you don't call them names:


Actor Lance Baxter, otherwise known as "D.C. Douglas," currently known as the man who informs you how much GEICO can save you on car insurance, left a message last month with FreedomWorks in which he asked the group how many "mentally retarded" people it had on staff and what it would do when a tea partyer "killed someone." On April 14, FreedomWorks put his voicemail online.

Let me explain this very clearly for the whining Mr. Baxter and his would-be defenders. As an American, you have the freedom of speech. You do not have the right to avoid entirely reasonable responses to the speech you decide to exercise.

Baxter chose to take actions that led to a response by the target of his ire, which was entirely within their rights. GEICO, likewise, was entirely within their rights to dump Mr. Baxter, who could not control himself and made an outburst that could cause the company financial losses.

Freedom isn't free, it requires responsibility and knowing that you may be required to pay a price for your convictions.

Mr. Baxter has now learned that lesson.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 11:54 AM

Comments

1 That's how you do it, son.

Posted by: EC at April 21, 2010 12:17 PM (mAhn3)

2 That's called putting your tongue in your paycheck......fair dinkum!

Posted by: WARREN at April 21, 2010 12:24 PM (Clyj2)

3 Talk about vindictive. Politics today has become very heated and it was dumb of this guy to leave that voice message, but I think you cross a line when you try and get a guy fired for expressing an opinion.

Posted by: Tom at April 21, 2010 12:39 PM (WiU5D)

4 Amen! Well put.

Posted by: DaMav at April 21, 2010 12:43 PM (QNU76)

5 to make it clear, my 'Amen!' was directed at the OP, not the 'cross a line' stuff.

The line was crossed by Baxter when he called us morons and accused us of inciting murder.

Sarah Palin put it so well: "We are not going to sit down and shut up!" Amen again.

Posted by: DaMav at April 21, 2010 12:46 PM (QNU76)

6 I think it's a bit early to say that Baxter has learned anything. I suspect he may never learn.

Posted by: Russ at April 21, 2010 12:48 PM (7r11k)

7 I read his press release (per the link) but didn't understand the reference to anti-gay language at tea parties. Was he referring to the anti-gay behavior of the White House and the intimidation and questionable removal of news media from public property during gay protests against President Obama?

Considering we've been to tea parties in Omaha and have had gay and minority friends we know also participating, I'm perplexed as to where this observation is coming from. Certainly the left isn't being racist in calling someone anti-gay that's not? That in itself creates and sustains binaries that continue the oppression against minorities.

Posted by: Hatless Hessian at April 21, 2010 06:38 PM (7r7wy)

8 I don't remember exactly how he said it, but Thomas Sowell said that if you think free speech cannot have consequences, go home tonight and tell your wife she needs to lose a little weight.

Posted by: Paul Gross at April 22, 2010 09:49 AM (UEQr+)

9 Politics today has become very heated and it was dumb of this guy to leave that voice message, but I think you cross a line when you try and get a guy fired for expressing an opinion.

Speech begat more speech. There's is nothing wrong with that. Maybe you should blame GEICO for firing him. Pardon me while I decline to join you. I'm busy being unhappy with them for joining a boycott of Glenn Beck for expressing his opinion.

Posted by: Pablo at April 22, 2010 10:02 AM (yTndK)

10 Politics today has become very heated and it was dumb of this guy to leave that voice message, but I think you cross a line when you try and get a guy fired for expressing an opinion.

So if a spokesman for a company with which you do business insults you, you should just keep your mouth shut.

Posted by: Jim Treacher at April 22, 2010 10:32 AM (9SrGF)

11 This is a case of free speech working perfectly.

Baxter by all means had the right to express his opinion that people who want smaller government are a bunch of retards who may kill at any instant.

Similarly, tea party members have the right to express their opinion that they don't want to buy insurance from a company that employs that guy as a spokesman. After all, continuing to employ him can be regarded as silent approval of his opinion.

So then Geico has the right to decide whether they consider his employment worth the potential lost business, and then express their opinion that they prefer to have tea partiers as customers rather than tea party bashers as spokesmen.

Posted by: plaidunicorn at April 22, 2010 12:43 PM (8Phn7)

12 I'm sure I've heard this phrasology before but for some reason this particular story finally made it stick:

The "free" in "Freedom" does not mean "without cost, consequence, or responsibility."

Posted by: DoorHold at April 25, 2010 12:10 PM (WgbAH)






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