Is Free Speech a Good Thing

[Neverfly]

"I have a friend who comes from some place in central Asia. He says that the earth is perched on the back of a giant elephant, and the elephant is standing on top of an even larger turtle. Ya know, I don't think I would be willing to die to protect his right to say that." ― from a movie I saw many years ago

It's not about individual sayings.

It's about expression. When a society limits or inhibits expression, it only limits and inhibits that society.
Think of all the speakers of history who altered the face of society. Imagine what we might be experiencing today if the expressions of voice and art and music had been silenced.
If Martin Luther King Jr. never told us about his dream.
If "Rett Butler" hadn't said, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
If we could not view the Mona Lisa.

Sure, there are a lot of examples of expression we do not agree with. We don't believe in. Many we find annoying or absurd. Sometimes people will feel anger at what they hear. They might feel insulted or offended. Allow them to feel that way. Allow them to examine those feelings. Many forms of expression tell us what we already know and many that tell us nothing at all. Yet, how many tell us what we need to hear even if we don't wish to hear it? There are many that make us think, re-analyze, self analyze and even, change our minds.
There is nothing greater than hearing and seeing opinions different than yours. In science, in life, in religion or music or art or parenting.
We actively seek them out- we join internet groups and forums to read, discuss and argue about each expression.

When these are limited or inhibited, that society cannot examine differences anywhere near so effectively. It cannot examine itself; grow, learn, progress. It's stagnant, non-progressive.

 

[Crunchy Cat]

I chose "No, Free Speech is a fundamental human right."; however, I disagree with the blurb of text to the right of "No, ...". There is no such thing as a fundamental human right... it is a social construct that is enforced by governing body (just like any "right").

 

[seagypsy]

...

Hate speech sometimes qualifies as "fighting words," but in most cases the courts reject even this argument. If a white man calls a black man the N-word in a bar, he'd probably be prosecuted because that is clearly provocation. ...

I may be wrong, I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I don't think you can be prosecuted just for calling someone a racial slur. but if you yell the racial slur while physically assaulting them, it raises a simple assault to a being defined as a hate crime and it carries a stiffer penalty. But you can call anyone anything you want as long as you are not causing them physical harm while doing it.

I apologize for responding to an old post in the thread, I am a little late for joining in.

 

[kris]

It's not about individual sayings.

It's about expression. When a society limits or inhibits expression, it only limits and inhibits that society.
Think of all the speakers of history who altered the face of society. Imagine what we might be experiencing today if the expressions of voice and art and music had been silenced.
If Martin Luther King Jr. never told us about his dream.
If "Rett Butler" hadn't said, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
If we could not view the Mona Lisa.

Sure, there are a lot of examples of expression we do not agree with. We don't believe in. Many we find annoying or absurd. Sometimes people will feel anger at what they hear. They might feel insulted or offended. Allow them to feel that way. Allow them to examine those feelings. Many forms of expression tell us what we already know and many that tell us nothing at all. Yet, how many tell us what we need to hear even if we don't wish to hear it? There are many that make us think, re-analyze, self analyze and even, change our minds.
There is nothing greater than hearing and seeing opinions different than yours. In science, in life, in religion or music or art or parenting.
We actively seek them out- we join internet groups and forums to read, discuss and argue about each expression.

When these are limited or inhibited, that society cannot examine differences anywhere near so effectively. It cannot examine itself; grow, learn, progress. It's stagnant, non-progressive.

I think you are spot on.

Though there are practical considerations, such as those that use their free speech to exploit and manipulate others and incite violence, hate and intolerance. In an ideal world this would be irrelevant noise that would be ignored in favour of popular sentiment that encouraged compassion, tolerance and peaceful expression.

But in our current reality, how do we best deal with acts of expression that are successful in impinging on the right of other human beings to live a peaceful existence and to express themselves freely and openly without fear of reprisal?

 

[Bowser]

I may be wrong, I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I don't think you can be prosecuted just for calling someone a racial slur. but if you yell the racial slur while physically assaulting them, it raises a simple assault to a being defined as a hate crime and it carries a stiffer penalty. But you can call anyone anything you want as long as you are not causing them physical harm while doing it.

I apologize for responding to an old post in the thread, I am a little late for joining in.

I think you're right. You can talk trash as long as you're not throwing punches. Regardless, you might find yourself in a fight. I'm not sure how it's defined once a fight ensues.

 

[Saturnine Pariah]

It's not about individual sayings.

It's about expression. When a society limits or inhibits expression, it only limits and inhibits that society.
Think of all the speakers of history who altered the face of society. Imagine what we might be experiencing today if the expressions of voice and art and music had been silenced.
If Martin Luther King Jr. never told us about his dream.
If "Rett Butler" hadn't said, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
If we could not view the Mona Lisa.

Sure, there are a lot of examples of expression we do not agree with. We don't believe in. Many we find annoying or absurd. Sometimes people will feel anger at what they hear. They might feel insulted or offended. Allow them to feel that way. Allow them to examine those feelings. Many forms of expression tell us what we already know and many that tell us nothing at all. Yet, how many tell us what we need to hear even if we don't wish to hear it? There are many that make us think, re-analyze, self analyze and even, change our minds.
There is nothing greater than hearing and seeing opinions different than yours. In science, in life, in religion or music or art or parenting.
We actively seek them out- we join internet groups and forums to read, discuss and argue about each expression.

When these are limited or inhibited, that society cannot examine differences anywhere near so effectively. It cannot examine itself; grow, learn, progress. It's stagnant, non-progressive.

:bravo: