Much of the criticism of the Gulf of America Act focuses on how it applies to faculty across the state’s public colleges and universities, as well as UAB-employed journalists at WBHM. Many of the Alabamians who spoke with us about the law felt strongly it’s flawed at best and, at worst, un-American.
Liz Childers is a mental health therapist who lives in Vestavia Hills. She said the measure runs counter to the First Amendment’s free-speech protections.
“I think that it’s directly contrary to the spirit of America, let alone the Constitution,” she said. “It just sounds like something that shouldn't be happening in, you know, the land of the free.”
Childers worried it could set a frightening precedent.
“Who's to say that the government couldn't restrict you from covering immigration raids or other things they find make them look bad?” she asked. “It feels like this is testing the waters for something bigger, especially with the midterms right around the corner.”
Kent Upshaw is a retiree living in Shelby County. He agreed with Childers, saying the law is an example of government-mandated censorship.
He’s one of many we heard from directly or on social media who suggested a compromise.
“I guess my preference would be the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. "But truth is, I'd probably refer to it as ‘the Gulf’ because that's typically the term we use. Gulf of America sounds just a little jingoistic."
One of Upshaw’s main concerns is the law’s ambiguity.
“It's kind of vague,” he said. “This is a way to apply pressure to the public radio stations that receive state funding and to put them on the line.”
He also suggested it’s a threat or maybe a dare to station personnel who want to maintain journalistic standards.
“Do you want to stand on principle, or do you want to continue to do business?” he asked.
Suzanne Pritchett runs a concrete construction business in Winston County . She would see the law as something of a joke, if the consequences were not so dire.
“I feel like changing it to the Gulf of America was a silly whim,” she said. “It's an assault on our free speech, but more importantly, to me, it's a sign of authoritarianism, of dictatorship.”
She also worried what the rigidity of the law means for education.
“I'm very disheartened by how it applies to teachers and faculty, because if they're teaching Gulf of America and internationally, it's known by a different name, then I feel like the kids are being cheated and not given a worldview of their education,” she said.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve asked a number of Alabama Republican lawmakers to speak on this issue. They included the sponsor of the law in the House, as well as the speaker of the house, the bill’s Senate sponsor, and the chair of the Alabama Republican Party. They all declined or did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
We also contacted multiple people who have stated their support for the Gulf of America Act on social media or other platforms, two of whom accepted.
Perry Cole is a CPA, who works in the Birmingham area.
“I think as an American, I'm proud that that name is used instead of a foreign country,” he said.
As he explained it, the term “America” is more inclusive, since, as part of the name of a continent, it includes Mexico and Canada. However, he was not in favor of changing “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America.”
“Maybe I haven't thought about it enough, but I just don't think Lake Ontario – changing that name – would fit,” he said.
Cole also told WBHM in a sometimes spirited but friendly discussion, he doesn’t see journalists being compelled to say "Gulf of America" as running counter to the First Amendment’s protection for a free press.
“I think WBHM, as well as any news outlet, should report things accurately,” he said. “It's been officially renamed the Gulf of America. To even go around it, I don't think that's very professional reporting.”
Randy Fretwell lives in coastal Alabama. While he said he’s grown disillusioned with some elements of the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, he still holds views that lean to the political right. That includes his opposition to state funding for public media and his belief that employees should basically toe the line when it comes to employer-mandated speech.
“So, it's kind of two sides to that coin,” he said. “First side is government shouldn't be involved with any of that messaging. Second, you kind of got to do what your employer tells you, if you want to keep getting the check.”
Fretwell added he doesn’t think the Gulf of America Act is worth the paper the map is printed on.
“I really think it's insignificant," he said. "I think it’s kind of a distraction, kind of poke from Trump to stir people up.”
Others agreed the Gulf of America Act is a distraction from other issues facing the country.
UAB holds WBHM’s broadcast license, but our news and business departments are editorially independent.
