Earlier today, Ozzie Guillen was suspended for five games by the Miami Marlins for his comments praising Fidel Castro. And it didn't take long for some to scream "Freedom of Speech!"
There was this Bloomberg.com segment in which Jon Friedman says Guillen should be criticized for his comments, but not suspended, because "it's America, it's freedom of speech."
And then there was Peter Burns of Fox Sports Radio who thought he stumbled on some irony nobody else had noticed (via Twitter)...
Ironic that Guillen gets punished for free speech based upon a dictator that doesn't allow it.
Does Ozzie have a right to say what he wants about Fidel Castro? Sure. But what is apparently lost on these people is that freedom of speech protects citizens from the government, not their employer.
And if the Marlins feel that Guillen has acted in a way that is damaging to their business (he did), then they have the right to punish him (they did).
Civics 101.
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See Also:
- Miami Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen Said He Loves Fidel Castro
- Cuban-American Sports Radio Host Calls Fidel Castro 'Our Hitler'
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