Why is 'Freedom of Speech' so misunderstood?

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Canid117

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bruein said:
Canid117 said:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Sounds like Freedom of Speech to me. Just because an individual over the age of 21 is free to drink as much alcohol as they want doesn't mean they can't get punched in the face for throwing up on some guys shoes.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion? Then why is god in our pledge of allegience?? They don't do a good job at following their own rules do they?
That was added in the fifties when people were extremely religious and when the first amendment was seen as a guideline. They aren't really forcing a religion on anyone though so meh.
 

Woodsey

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TheLaofKazi said:
Woodsey said:
Freedom of speech is a wonderful idea, and completely fucking stupid in practice.

As soon as you start inciting hatred, adding to racial tensions, and flat-out lying to promote your own ideas (which often relate to the former two examples, and stuff like them), people have every right to shut you up.
Does shutting them up remove the bigotry and lies? Is it possible to shut those people up? Who or what is going to shut them up? The government? Governments are far from perfect you know, and by letting the government censor people for being hateful or lying, you are letting the government, a deeply flawed, corrupt entity define those things, which I'm honestly not very comfortable with.
Alright, everyone who wants to quote me on this, just look up how Britain deals with it, and I more or less agree with that. Governments in the Western world are not nearly as deeply flawed or corrupt as people like to entertain themselves into believing. No, of course they're not perfect, but this obsession people have with thinking every government is a dictatorship waiting to happen is a little tiring.

Like I've said, this is not about a guy who simply says he hates black people, its about a guy who purposefully prays on people's ignorance and misfortune into having persecuting black people, or who does his utmost to bring together who genuinely think the same as him.

Why do you consider freedom of speech a higher priority than the safety of others? If a child is being verbally bullied at school, do you let the bully carry on because he has a right to freedom of speech? Or does the school have rules, implemented and carried out by imperfect human beings, which put the well-being of the bullied child above that of the bully?

What about sexual harassment in the work place? I mean hey, the guy's just saying what's on his mind - freedom of speech!

Of course, in those contexts, people are more inclined to side with you, but for no real reason, the idea of it being put on a national level makes everyone crap themselves.
 

Gudrests

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twistedmic said:
Clip clip here clip clip here int he merry old land of .....the escapisttttttt thats how we ...something the day away with a HA HA HA HO HO HO *poof* witch....*she says some shit...midgets scream...I laugh at there lack of firepower....or water for that matter....spit at the *****...common. Fight the monkeys.
are you in my lecture class? lol.....seroisly where do you live we had this arguement about freedom of speech and how it only belongs to the dead
 

Dogstile

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Jan 17, 2009
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Spot1990 said:
dogstile said:
Spot1990 said:
The main thing that bothers me with free speech (although I agree with the OP, if you call a co-worker a ****** or ****** then that private organistaion has every right to fire you) is people who support free speech as long as they agree with what's being said. Like when the WBC were banned from preaching in England. I mean I hate those guys as much as anyone, but freedom of speech exists to defend unpopular speech. We don't need to defend things the majority agree with.

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
WBC was banned in England because they practice hate speech. That's banned here.
Yes but making laws against them picketing funerals is one thing totally banning them from preaching to anyone who would care to listen is another. They are not telling people to go out and kill gay people or anything. What they preach is disgusting and bigoted but it's there view. They have a website, godhatesireland.com it pisses me off but I don't think they should be stopped from saying it I just get on with my life. They have every right to say that, just like I have a right to say "they're a bunch of homophobic cunts who no reasonable person would agree with and due to the fact that the church is made up of Phelps' own family I'm inclined to believe it's due to a flaw in their genes that may or may not be a direct result of inbreeding."
Not in England they don't. The law is different here.
 

CrazyGirl17

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Sep 11, 2009
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Freedom of Speech is misunderstood because ignorant prats use it to further their own ends.

...But that's just how I see it...
 

emeraldrafael

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You also can insight a panic (yelling panic) or do anyhting that is detrimental to public safety.

Anyway I think its cause most people who bother to pull up their first amendment right shield (or really any right shield) dont bother to actually READ what they're using as a shield.
 

Bebus

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Freedom of speech is a great thing, but too many people seem to think it resolves them of the responsibility and consequences of their words.

You have the freedom to drive a car too, or in the USA own a weapon. But if you injure somebody as a direct result of your actions you get arrested. The same needs to be true of speech. Words have enormous influence, and can cause harm, damage and death. People inciting violence cannot be allowed to hide behind 'freedom of speech'.

Recent UK example: the EDL, a far right extremist group, exercised their right to 'free speech' in my home town. I had nothing to do with them, but I through my council tax will be paying for the police and cleanup operations, and the hostility they implant amongst the Muslim residents towards white people will linger for months. Free speech? Only if people accept the consequences.
 

Del-Toro

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Woodsey said:
Freedom of speech is a wonderful idea, and completely fucking stupid in practice.

As soon as you start inciting hatred, adding to racial tensions, and flat-out lying to promote your own ideas (which often relate to the former two examples, and stuff like them), people have every right to shut you up.
Sure, "people" do, but the question in play is: does the state? That's really the fundamental question of freedom of speech. Sure, the state won't come down on you, but if others want to dress you down for it, then they are well within their rights as well.
 

Double A

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Actually, you can say whatever the hell you want about the president, nothing is slander.

This means you CAN say Obama is a raving, psychotic, Nazi-loving maniac and easily get away with it.

Anyway, to answer your question, people are idiots. That's pretty much the answer to every single political question.
 

Verlander

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Apr 22, 2010
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SirBryghtside said:
Verlander said:
Spot1990 said:
Verlander said:
The concept of freedom of speech, and the American first amendment are different. When people talk about freedom of speech, it should mean freedom of speech. When people talk about the first amendment, it should mean that.

Just because people refer to the First Amendment as being "freedom of speech" doesn't mean it is.

Spot1990 said:
Like when the WBC were banned from preaching in England. I mean I hate those guys as much as anyone, but freedom of speech exists to defend unpopular speech. We don't need to defend things the majority agree with.

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
That's because Britain, like America, does not have freedom of speech
I was talking more the concept than legal right.

I'm an Irish atheist so last year's blasphemy laws really hit home the fact that I'm not living with free speech.
I hear you, blasphemy law is the same as banning a religion, it's ridiculous
Wait... that actually passed?

What's the actual law? And the charges?
Not sure of the charges (I'm UK based) but I think it passed at the beginning of last year

If you are really interested, there are pages worth of details ehre:

http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/bills28/bills/2006/4306/document1.htm
 

Rayne870

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Nov 28, 2010
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Simply stated everyone has the right to say something just as much as others have a right to tell them to STFU. Sometimes the STFU people are actually backed by the law and are doing so to protect the interest of other people that want to say things, or don't like what is being said about them.
 

LostintheWick

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Sep 29, 2009
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NinjaDeathSlap said:
Mittens The Kitten said:
NinjaDeathSlap said:
people are dumb...
People are dumb? Relative to what? There isnt anything out there that's smarter than people.
Correction time...

THE MASSES are dumb, WHEN COMPARED TO THE FEW WHO HAVE TO LOOK AFTER THEM.

(you are forgetting that humans are actually the third most intelligent species on Earth. Stephen Fry said so himself...)
Do you really think that "the few" are looking after us?
 

skitzo van

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Mar 20, 2009
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I fully support free speech, and the kind I'm talking about is the slander, violence threat etc. because everyone has a right to say something, and if want they want to say goes against your ideals who gives a fuck?