Free Speech

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Do you believe in free speech?

I have no problem with receiving 'pushback', 'backlash' or 'negative feedback' if I express an (ahem) socially conservative opinion on here or on many other platforms, but do find it problematic when people expressing such opinions inevitably find themselves at risk of being closed down or sanctioned by moderators.

It's a common complaint by people of a socially conservative orientation that some people on the other side of the argument (who are sometimes bafflingly referred to as 'liberals') want to 'shut down the debate' when their opponents make their presence felt, and those 'liberals' inevitably deny that anything of the sort is the case, but I am far from convinced....

The Right to Free Speech does not mean what most people seem to think it means, and I think Randall Munroe, the creative genius behind the XKCD webcomic said it best:

Text (In case image does not display on your system)

The right to free speech means that the government can't arrest you for what you say. It doesn't mean that anyone else has to listen to your bulls**t, or host you while you share it.

The 1st Amendment doesn't shield you from criticism or consequences.

If you're yelled at, boycotted, have your show cancelled, or get banned from an Internet community, your free speech rights aren't being violated.

It's just that people listening to you think you're an a**hole, and they're showing you the door.

Source:  This XKCD Webcomic 

Yeah I'm all for it me

Babybird is from the UK where unlike in America hate speech is illegal.

Ok. Can I use your telephone?



(Was a joke by Ken Goodwin).

Lol

Hamas is held as a proscribed terrorist organisation by many of the major western countries, including the USA where WP is legally based, meaning that supporting it may actually be illegal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_d ... ist_groups

In the UK, supporting Hamas is illegal. The government states it as: We are not making it unlawful to hold a private view in support of a terrorist organisation. But it is right to criminalise those who make clear expressions of support for terrorist organisations, and who are reckless as to whether that will encourage others to support the organisation.

YMMV.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... eet_RA.pdf

Sucks to be them, doesn't it?

Yeah I think there's a fine line between voicing your opinion on or your support for something and inciting hate.

Last edited by babybird on 28 Oct 2023, 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

Hate speech is protected speech in the U.S. You can say “Too bad Hitler did not finish the job” and not get arrested. You can be arrested if your speech poses an imminent threat. You can not provide material or financial support to a designated foreign terrorist group.

Yep, hate speech is another issue and one that the UK treats differently.

But I suspect "You can not provide material or financial support to a designated foreign terrorist group." would include, say, rallies or multiple posts attempting to whip up support?

Nope, totally legal here, or half the Ivy League and several members of Congress would be in jail.

The problem is this is some of what is classed as hate speach is nothing about hate, as the ones accused of hate speech can be speaking out in love. Why I think it a ludicrous rule because it does not differentiate the intentions of the individual. It merely restricts people from being able to twlk about certain subjects which is when UK democracy dissapeared, because democracy relies on extremes of both sides to find the middle ground.

Last edited by Mountain Goat on 28 Oct 2023, 11:12 am, edited 2 times in total.

I can't think of a bnp protest that is promoting love apart from the love of their patriotism.

But I'm sure the members of that particular group would deny it has anything to do with hate as well.

For example, INCELS who spout hatred against women and threaten to kill them are actually saying they love them?
Or, are they saying they love other men?
What's the intention of those individuals, exactly?