The Free Speech Argument

[Blue_Adept]

Wish more folks would actually understand this. But understanding of ones rights tends to be less about the actual meaning and more about what it means to the person at hand and often their persecution complex.

The site (xckd.com) also has some hovertext for it as well:

"I can't remember where I heard this, but someone once said that defending a position by citing free speech is sort of the ultimate concession; you're saying that the most compelling thing you can say for your position is that it's not literally illegal to express."

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. Posted to for later reading.

[avebury]

2. K&R nt

[el_bryanto]

3. Is freedom of expression a value as well as a constitutional right as well?

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - Evelyn Beatrice Hall (although often attributed to Voltaire). Is defending Free Speech strictly a legal prohibition or is it something that should motivate us as individuals? Imagine you saw someone trying to persuade workers to unionize, surrounded by company goons shouting her down - are her rights to free speech being taken away? Or say you had a coworker who was fired because he had a website expressing his support for a woman's right to choose (in this example imagine you work for Hobby Lobby)). The Government didn't punish him for expressing himself, so no harm, no foul, right?

Secondly, nobody wants to silence speech they agree with; they only really want to silence speech that is saying something they disagree with. The measure of whether or not you favor freedom of speech is not how willing you are to defend someone saying something you agree with but how willing you are to defend someone saying something you disagree with. So in the example above, imagine you had a coworker who was fired because he had a "pro-life" website (in this case you probably don't work for Hobby Lobby)? Is that acceptable? or better?

I do like that last quote though - defending an argument by reaching to freedom of speech only works when people are literally threatening your ability to speak. Otherwise its' pretty pathetic.

Bryant

[Demeter]

4. I agree with that last

"defending an argument by reaching to freedom of speech only works when people are literally threatening your ability to speak"

But that happens far too much on this website lately, and in society in general, for me to accept the original post as anything but a strawman argument.

You aren't paranoid, they really ARE out to get you, and your little dog, too!

[el_bryanto]

7. Well on a website people don't have the ability to silence people usually

Skinner does i guess, but most people don't.

Bryant

[MohRokTah]

5. BRAVO!

[ashling]

6. I make the distinction between the concept of

freedom of speech and the right protected by the First Amendment.

[polynomial]

8. The XL pipeline should be flushed out with holy water every week

as the new maintenance plan to prevent leaks. Now is that a lie or is it the truth?

With a laugh and a chuckle while trying to avoid being irreverent towards God this Easter I was listening to talk radio. Ed Shultz turned around to condemn the xl pipeline. For me that was a relief. I like Ed but on this plan of the xl pipeline from my view is just another page in a stack of lies to profiteer.

What we need first, is clean water, and a way to capture those micro storm run offs, or help prevent local area flooding. Programs are in place nationwide to do this but needs to be placed on a fast track to get the our tax money back to local areas to fix creeks and small streams that take run off rain. I say “DO IT” now.

Plus to refigure a lot of traffic patterns all over the country that are out dated. All local traffic patterns should provide periodic walk ways and rest areas designed for pedestrians. Gas is going up in price so we the people should respond to convenience and walk more. Especially those land mark lanes enhanced for bike riding.

I am writing to my Congress and Senate representative, please do the same. It’s insane that we have dangerous rail road crossings still in dark territory no electronic safety, or bridge under-passes that are crumbling needing immediate repair. Or public rail traffic during prime time rush hour traffic needs to be as public as air flight availability to put a stop to traffic congestion. Fix it, while improving it.

One of the most foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid judicial surprise that supposedly intelligent justice said to lie in news telecasting is O.K. This was in a talk show given by Thom Hartmann.

I could not believe it. Please Du’s we need to kick this one around a lot. After it was explained that Fox news went to court to protect the news company in that they could go to the public, so legally get away with distorted news protected by the first amendment! Hello out there I did not know that. Another WTF moment for me, it still baffles me.

A simple truism; all things in news are basic meaning to deliver to a community happenings to solve problems, to get to the truth of things. How in the world can anyone get to solve problems in society if the news media is protected to lie. That’s insane.

Hello, it’s no wonder many of America is talking about a broke America. The American Justice system needs to get cleaned out fast. The Judge who made this decision should be thrown out on his head the hard way with over whelming public prosecution.

[madmom]

9. I wish I had a nickle for everytime I had to explain this...K&R

[cate94]

10. K & R

[Nuclear Unicorn]

11. How many hosts have been chased off of MSNBC in the last few years?

I think the telephonic riots people are using to cost people their jobs is a practice we will eventually come to regret -- if we're smart enough to regret it.