Free Speech: Is It Fine to Say Something Offensive?

MOst of Western Europe bans people or jails them for what they deem to be hate speech. We aren't doing that here yet.

The biggest problem with hate speech is that it is seldom applied equally. A Muslim Cleric in England can get away with saying that homosexuals are the spawn of the devil, but an Anglican minister who said the same thing would go to jail.

 

This is a good example of the subjectivity of the thing. Attempting to legislate against 'verbal offensiveness' is a good distance along the road to North Koreahood.

I find it very perplexing that 'progressives' are so unaware of their own slide towards totalitarianism. Can they really be that stupid?

 

Ask a group of SJWs if they support free speech. They'll all say 'yes'. Then tell the one with the shortest hair that she's a deluded trend lesbian, who should be at home cooking and cleaning for a man. And make sure you call her 'she' and 'girl'.

 

Some of the ones at the bottom of the food chain are extraordinarily uninformed or borderline idiotic. At the top they know exactly where they're going and damn well approve. After all if you are going to have control of everything you sure as hell don't need Monday morning quarterbacks pointing out the flaws in your plan real or imagined. Scratch a progressive and you almost invariably find a fascist.

 

So true. Though I suspect the bottom of that particular food chain is very crowded. Given that SJW-hood is ideology rather than politics, it does make sense. It's an emotive allegiance in the same way religious fundamentalism is. Critical thought is discouraged, because it reveals flaws in the dogma. The focus is always dragged back to 'feels', just the way evangelists drag the focus back to 'love'. It's really indistinguishable from religious fundamentalism ... and anyone who's been around activists will immediately know this.

I feel sorry for these SJW kids. They've been let down badly by indifferent parenting, and are seeking to redress a hugs deficit. In my day, these kinds of dysfunctional kids ended up at church fellowship with all the other awkward kids - acceptance, instant family and all that. Same old stuff, just a different flavour.

Meantime, I always find it hilarious to hear them refer to themselves as 'progressive'. A more regressive bunch of arch conservatives I cannot imagine!

 

First I am a Christian. This does not make me blind deaf or mute. It has in most regards provided me a clearer view of reality than one will ever get without being a Christian. 2nd a Progressive isn't an sort of conservative neither were Hitler or Mussolini. The difference between a progressive and a conservative lies in this- Conservatives have, as a general rule fairly limited goals, and have an idea what needs to be done to acheive those. Progressive don't have goals they have dreams on a grand scale that they wish to foist on the rest of us, and a million ways to get there none of which can ever be made to work. So they always wind up in the same place with some tin horn on a grand scale murdering millions because apparently blood in large quantities is the only lubricant that can make the gears spin to their liking.

 

Being a Christian is not the same as being a religious fundamentalist, though. In political terms, I'm a "Christian" because I'm a leftist and a socialist, but I'm not a fundie (ideologue/progressive).

Conservatism in the sense I mean it is the dislike of change and/or difference, and a marked preference for conformity. Modern progressives can't abide difference, and are very much in favour of conformity.

 

I never said there weren’t differences between Europe and the US, I just said that simply asking people what they’d do in particular situation isn’t proof of what would actually happen, especially in an complex, emotive and politically controversial area such as this.

Actually they can both “get away” with that (and sometimes do). There is no law in the UK against simply making that kind of statement and certainly not one that would carry jail time.

 

You're just spewing random rubbish that has absolutely nothing to do with what I posted. Of course, I fully support your right to spew random rubbish if that's what you want to do.

 

Free speech is definitely one of the major things I am proud of about America, and I am not the nationalistic type. It's a legitimate point of pride. Free speech is really important because society is often wrong about things without realizing it, and only through free speech can we continuously be open-minded and critical of the myriad variety of ideas out there in order to continuously improve our society, and understand why we believe what we do. The scientific method is an example of free speech in action, and it is the most potent tool human have to improve our lives. Millennials understand some things better than older generations, but I hope they don't mess this up for us.

 

The concept of free speech is confused by some, I believe.
Yes, you are free in terms of legally allowed to say something offensive, but there may be consequences from those you offend - someone may hit you for example. Now they are NOT free to hit you, they will be taken care of legally because they "broke the law".

I can get offended by many things that are not illegal. Speech can be one of them.


People don't need to worry about freedom of speech, then need to worry about consequence of speech because those you offend may just end up murdering you. They would be punished for their action, but was it worth your life, and your family's pain?

 

Then why were Trump and Savage threatened with a ban and actually banned out right?

 

Trump was never threatened win a ban. A couple of idiots made some noise about the idea in the tabloids as an knowingly ironic reference to his Muslim migration policy. Nothing Trump has said comes close to reaching the level for a ban and the UK government was never going to try.

The reason for Savage’s ban is apparently that he was "Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence". Regardless of whether that’s a fair accusation or not, it would involve more than simply “saying homosexuals are the spawn of the devil”.

Incidentally, it seems most of the people identified as banned from the UK on similar grounds are promoters of Islamic terrorism; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom

 

Actually savages chief problem lies in his continuing strongly worded critiques of Islamic terroism, apparently they're afraid that by condemning it he might provoke more of it meaning in a sense that the terrorists have already won..

 

Id say throwing someone in jail for something they said is the only abuse of human rights

 

Correct me if I am wrong:
Only liberal/leftists students need these; conservatives do not.
Is there an example of a collegiate "safe space" set up for conservatives? Has there been any demand?

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Stand outside the White House and scream about your desire to kill the President.

 

I wouldn't know, I'd never heard of him. The fact remains that, as I said and regardless of any other legal contexts, there is no UK law against saying "saying that homosexuals are the spawn of the devil".

 

I'm not sure if he owes us a thanks or if we owe him an apology...

 

Not the same thing as simply expressing what they consider to be hate speech.

 

Christmas Island Detention Center.

'Nuff said.

 

Unacceptable to who? Who has the authority to decide what is and isn't acceptable?

And who decides what is 'civil'?

Offense (taken) is entirely subjective. You cannot legislate for it. Doing so is a form of totalitarianism.

 

Too late. They've already messed it up in many places.

And you're absolutely right .. free speech is as important as scientific enquiry. it IS scientific enquiry.

Any laws which attempt to suppress the free expression of ANY idea or sentiment, are the inverse of scientific. And are the foundation stone of places like North Korea.

 

How do conservative college kids 'cope' with confronting ideas and/or offensive speech?

 

Welllll they don't SHRIEK for safe spaces or gang up in a twelve against one group assault and try to beat the snot out of someone disagreeing with them. They simply shrug and then either stand and argue or walk away to get on with life, knowing that with hard work and determination they will be both fiscally independent and just fine. Meanwhile the average leftist snowflake will end up living in mom's and pop's basement.

 

https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/10/v...illary-clinton

In this video, you will hear Robert Spencer stating that when Clinton gets in, she will appoint a 9th Justice to the Supreme Court ( which currently sits at 4/4 on Hate Speech) who will
be in favour of banning hate speech against muslims...there goes the 1st amendment...
She is also in favour of watering down gun laws...there goes the 2nd amendment....

If Americans are banned from talking about Islam and muslims because it is classified
as hate speech....youre done...youre toast....
Miami already has banned hate speech against muslims....not other religions like christians
or jews or buddhists...just muslims...
If you dont stand up against Clinton, America is done and dusted...
If violent intimidation by muslims is accepted, you are done and dusted....
No freedom of speech...you are done and dusted.....
You must step up your activism, you must speak the truth fearlessly..and the greatest weapon
in speaking the truth is that it is the truth....
Clinton and Obama have both denied strenuously that muslims and Islam are not linked to Jihadists....
80% of mosques in USA have been discovered delivering hatred and violence towards Americans.
Mosques need to be monitored..

Watch the video....and vote for Trump.....