Jim, I guess the answer depends on the country we're living in. A company would need deep pockets to violate a constitutional right in Canada. Rights and freedoms trump shareholder dividends. Otherwise money becomes the arbiter of morality. Everyone here, with or without testicles, would not accept it.
Mr. Cooper's constituional rights were not violated. Neither the Federal government nor any state government punished or prevented Mr. Cooper from expressing his political will.
Mike, "free speech" has limits. The Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel was convicted for hate crimes and extradited to Germany which tried and jailed him for the same thing: spreading anti-Semitism, incitement to racial hatred and denying the Holocaust. Canada and the US denied his applications for citizenship.
Mr. Zundel had the full weight of the Canadain government brought to bear on him for expressing and promoting his hateful, ridiculous, beliefs . In other words he was criminally prosecuted for hate speech.
Mr. Cooper lost his job. He is free to pursue another job. He isn’t going to jail.
I think it is obvious that when it comes to protection of free speech the USA takes a backset to no one.
King & Dig: However, the president of a firearms manufacturer publicizing support of and political contributions to the most anti-gun presidential candidate in US history is an extreme act, just as incongruous and insensible as a Catholic Bishop publicizing personal support and personal monetary contributions for the construction of a free abortion clinic. Of course both are entirely within their rights to do so, but to expect to be able to do so without grave consequences in simply not sane.
Game, set, and match
Best,
Mike
