11 Burning Questions with Bill Maher
This issue, News Editor Lorraine Chow finds out why Bill Maher supports the legalization of marijuana, why he's on the Catholic League's special list and more.
Lorraine Chow
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News
1. As our First Amendment Week speaker, how important is the First Amendment to you?
Well to me, it's everything because I make my living not only speaking publicly, but speaking out publicly. I don't know any American who wouldn't pay homage to the First Amendment. It's been my life.
2. There was a statement made by Ari Fleisher, who was the former White House press secretary, in regards to your 9/11 comment on "Politically Incorrect" that said, "They're reminders to all Americans that they need to watch what they say, watch what they do. This is not a time for remarks like that." Would you say his comment is the antithesis to free speech?
Yes, but I think he also needs to be given the latitude that we all want from the First Amendment, which is the right to misspeak. I don't really think he really meant that to be as ominous sounding as it came out.
3. Is there anyone in the public eye who should have his or her First Amendment right revoked?
[Laughs] No, of course not. There's no such thing. We can't revoke that right for anyone. As anyone with an education above the sixth-grade level has already learned, the important part of the First Amendment is to defend the speech we don't like. Anyone can defend speech they like. It's the unpopular speech that needs an advocate.
4. Why do you think pot should be legalized?
I would like to think we live in a free country, and as long as we have prohibition it's not really free. Among all the drugs out there in the United States, it's probably the single most benign of all of them, yet it's the one that's illegal. It's not like America is against drugs, America is awash in drugs. Drugs are everywhere. It's just which drugs they decide are illegal. Marijuana used to be legal and liquor was illegal. Cocaine used to be legal. So these things are very arbitrary. The law is what they make up at the time, and they should really reverse this one.
5. Who do you get the most hate mail from? Meat farmers or the religious right?
I don't read my mail, I stopped doing that years ago. I would guess religious people. I know I'm on the Catholic League's s*** list or whatever they call it. As far as meat goes, meat is the number one cause of global warming. As long as we're going to print an article, let's get that information out there because that's a very underreported piece of information that people should really understand. But I never go after anyone or anything for no reason, and that would include meat and religion - and there are very good reasons to criticize both those topics.
6. Can you elaborate more on why you think meat is the number one cause of global warming?
Well, the more people who eat meat the more rain forests and other vegetation-land they have to chop down to raise cattle. It's not only bad for you on an individual basis because meat is the hardest food to digest - we're very over-proteined in America - it's the cause of so much of our health problems. But it's horrible for the planet because you have to cut down all this land to raise cattle, and the cattle are horrible polluters themselves. And it takes an enormous amount of resources. To eat a pound of meat as opposed to pound of grain takes 5,000 gallons of water compared to 50.
Here's an interesting statistic: If everyone on earth consumed at the rate Americans do, we would need five planet earths to sustain ourselves. And of course with countries becoming more wealthy now, China, India so forth, the whole world is starting to consume like Americans so we need to keep that in mind.
7. I've read that you're against organized religion, and as LMU is a Jesuit school, what do you think about the Jesuit tradition?
[Laughs] You know we probably shouldn't talk about that in your paper if it's a Jesuit school. I'm not a fan of any organized religion. I think it's all dangerous and it's just a perpetuation of ancient myths.
8. Anne Coulter, who was also a First Amendment Week speaker, is one of your friends. How did that friendship start?
On "Politically Incorrect" she was a very frequent guest. I'm sure liberals will hate me for this, but we are the ones who discovered her.
9. What was your college experience like at Cornell?
I got a great education ... and I had a lousy social life.
10. Why was that?
Well when I was there, there were not many girls and I was at an age where I probably didn't know how to get them even if there were girls. And it was very cold, and it was very competitive. I think Cornell today - I've talked to students who go there over the years - and I don't think it has changed. It doesn't seem, according to them, that it really has changed much at all. It's still a cold lonely place where you can get a great education.
11. What has been the best Christmas present you've ever received?
A bicycle. I was probably 10.
Well to me, it's everything because I make my living not only speaking publicly, but speaking out publicly. I don't know any American who wouldn't pay homage to the First Amendment. It's been my life.
2. There was a statement made by Ari Fleisher, who was the former White House press secretary, in regards to your 9/11 comment on "Politically Incorrect" that said, "They're reminders to all Americans that they need to watch what they say, watch what they do. This is not a time for remarks like that." Would you say his comment is the antithesis to free speech?
Yes, but I think he also needs to be given the latitude that we all want from the First Amendment, which is the right to misspeak. I don't really think he really meant that to be as ominous sounding as it came out.
3. Is there anyone in the public eye who should have his or her First Amendment right revoked?
[Laughs] No, of course not. There's no such thing. We can't revoke that right for anyone. As anyone with an education above the sixth-grade level has already learned, the important part of the First Amendment is to defend the speech we don't like. Anyone can defend speech they like. It's the unpopular speech that needs an advocate.
4. Why do you think pot should be legalized?
I would like to think we live in a free country, and as long as we have prohibition it's not really free. Among all the drugs out there in the United States, it's probably the single most benign of all of them, yet it's the one that's illegal. It's not like America is against drugs, America is awash in drugs. Drugs are everywhere. It's just which drugs they decide are illegal. Marijuana used to be legal and liquor was illegal. Cocaine used to be legal. So these things are very arbitrary. The law is what they make up at the time, and they should really reverse this one.
5. Who do you get the most hate mail from? Meat farmers or the religious right?
I don't read my mail, I stopped doing that years ago. I would guess religious people. I know I'm on the Catholic League's s*** list or whatever they call it. As far as meat goes, meat is the number one cause of global warming. As long as we're going to print an article, let's get that information out there because that's a very underreported piece of information that people should really understand. But I never go after anyone or anything for no reason, and that would include meat and religion - and there are very good reasons to criticize both those topics.
6. Can you elaborate more on why you think meat is the number one cause of global warming?
Well, the more people who eat meat the more rain forests and other vegetation-land they have to chop down to raise cattle. It's not only bad for you on an individual basis because meat is the hardest food to digest - we're very over-proteined in America - it's the cause of so much of our health problems. But it's horrible for the planet because you have to cut down all this land to raise cattle, and the cattle are horrible polluters themselves. And it takes an enormous amount of resources. To eat a pound of meat as opposed to pound of grain takes 5,000 gallons of water compared to 50.
Here's an interesting statistic: If everyone on earth consumed at the rate Americans do, we would need five planet earths to sustain ourselves. And of course with countries becoming more wealthy now, China, India so forth, the whole world is starting to consume like Americans so we need to keep that in mind.
7. I've read that you're against organized religion, and as LMU is a Jesuit school, what do you think about the Jesuit tradition?
[Laughs] You know we probably shouldn't talk about that in your paper if it's a Jesuit school. I'm not a fan of any organized religion. I think it's all dangerous and it's just a perpetuation of ancient myths.
8. Anne Coulter, who was also a First Amendment Week speaker, is one of your friends. How did that friendship start?
On "Politically Incorrect" she was a very frequent guest. I'm sure liberals will hate me for this, but we are the ones who discovered her.
9. What was your college experience like at Cornell?
I got a great education ... and I had a lousy social life.
10. Why was that?
Well when I was there, there were not many girls and I was at an age where I probably didn't know how to get them even if there were girls. And it was very cold, and it was very competitive. I think Cornell today - I've talked to students who go there over the years - and I don't think it has changed. It doesn't seem, according to them, that it really has changed much at all. It's still a cold lonely place where you can get a great education.
11. What has been the best Christmas present you've ever received?
A bicycle. I was probably 10.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Martin A. Dolan
posted 2/24/08 @ 10:03 AM PST
Please do NOT publish my last email. I do NOT want my comments made public due to privacy and personal information it contains.
Thank you,
Martin Dolan
Duh
posted 2/24/08 @ 12:56 PM PST
For someone with multiple Top Secret clearances you certainly are short on common sense, Mr. Dolan. Did it escape your notice that this is a public site?
Thanks for the great example of the brains behind Washington, or lack thereof. (Continued…)
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