The Difference Between the First Amendment and Free Speech

The First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. There are some folks upset that Hank Williams got fired from ESPN for saying this... (Obama playing golf with Boehner (republican speaker of the house) would... "be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu. They're the enemy!" A host asked: "Who's the enemy?" Williams then went on to say: "Are you kiddin? Obama! Biden! The three stooges!" Apart from the general stupidity of this statement (I would have gone with Ahmadinejad to at least be current) as well as proof positive of what a truly silly sporting event politics has become (DAH DAH that's I don't vote anymore) there is now this foot stomping outrage that ESPN has somehow violated the First Amendment by firing him for this. The problem is that the amendment never once mentions ESPN or any private corporation for that matter. I work for a large communications company which has us sign a paper warning us that if we disparage the company on Facebook for example we can be fired. What Hank Williams did was say something so incredibly stupid that his employer decided they could not have him or his bad singing be part of their product anymore so they fired him. In so doing they neither violated the First Amendment or his right to free speech. The reason why is simple. Go to work tomorrow and call your boss !@#$)(*&^%$$%^&*(*&^%$# and find out in short order just how far your free speech rights extend. Furthermore walk into a crowded movie theatre and scream "fire" and find out whether or not the State can punish you for certain kinds of speech. The thing I find most striking is that because there are a large number of people who agree with what Hank said there are now folks complaining he has been done wrong without actually bothering to look at what he did. And since the other team wants to defend their star quarterback (sorry president) they will call for his blood even if they only have the foggiest notion of who he is and third hand knowledge of what he said. But since we now play politics instead of govern ourselves that is to be expected. After all if anything is permissible so long as it happens to agree with my opinion then to be surprised by this is dumber than comparing Obama to Hitler and calling him the enemy.