Free Speech?

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bernomatic
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#1 Free Speech?

Post by bernomatic »

Do we have the right to free speech or not. It would appear that if you are a male, speaking to a member of the opposite sex, (or one of the many sub-genders or a transgender that identifies as the opposite sex, or... or...) this is another area where it it's not to clear. In places we don't even have the freedom of speech to use certain pronouns.
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Rocket Babe
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#2 Re: Free Speech?

Post by Rocket Babe »

We still have free speech. Others may not like what you have to say but you still have the right to speak your mind in a decent, respectful way. The problem is that there is a segment of society that believes you only have the right to say what they agree with, otherwise you're a racist, sexist, etc. etc. etc.

I have no time for those who say we must all be tolerant while they are not. It has to work both ways or it doesn't work. :evil:
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bernomatic
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#3 Re: Free Speech?

Post by bernomatic »

Once you start putting qualifiers on the speech you will allow, you open the door to some type of censorship of one form or another.

Even putting just the slander/libel qualifiers on speech causes a type of chilling effect. Think about this also, in response to the oft cited "yelling fire in a crowded theater" example. What would happen if you lost someone in a fire at a theater and later learned that someone smelled smoke put didn't say anything because they were afraid to be labeled a pyrophobe.

Also, what is a "decent, respectful way to tell someone they are full of .... and should just ... themselves? By limiting it to descent and respectful, we loose the ability to put adjectives to things. Take for example dark skinned people. What is socially acceptable keeps changing from time to time.

Until the time words are capable of physically killing or maiming you (like in the Elder Scrolls Skyrim), speech should be as free as possible.

Just some things to mull over when someone seems to think speech should be limited.
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luke strawwalker
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#4 Re: Free Speech?

Post by luke strawwalker »

Rocket Babe wrote:We still have free speech. Others may not like what you have to say but you still have the right to speak your mind in a decent, respectful way. The problem is that there is a segment of society that believes you only have the right to say what they agree with, otherwise you're a racist, sexist, etc. etc. etc.

I have no time for those who say we must all be tolerant while they are not. It has to work both ways or it doesn't work. :evil:
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