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This has nothing to do with free speech, or net neutrality. This is a private business who reserves the right not to serve anyone. A hypothetical christian re
by fra 9y ago
This has nothing to do with free speech, or net neutrality.
This is a private business who reserves the right not to serve anyone.
A hypothetical christian registrar might refuse to do business with an abortion clinic. Many refuse to do business with ISIS.
You're allowed to say whatever you want, but you don't have a right to do it on my privately-held platform.
- anotherbrownguy 9y agoJust a hypothetical question: Would it be OK if a bakery run by Christians were not willing to do business with a gay couple?
- fra 9y agoIn my opinion they can't refuse to serve people because of their sexual orientation, but they can refuse to bake a cake for a gay wedding (which was the case in the example you refer to). There is a subtle difference between the two.
- jshevek 9y agoThis has everything to do with the ethical principle of free speech. Did you mean to refer to some law, or maybe a constitutional amendment?
- fra 9y agoWhat does free speech mean outside of the context of law? You don't have free speech in my house, your free speech doesn't mean I have to broadcast it. That doesn't mean I'm violating some ethical concept.
- jshevek 9y agoThe moral principle of free speech existed before any supporting law existed, otherwise the law couldn't have been created. I respect your legal and moral property rights, but I might think someone is a bad person for censoring speech within their own house (for example, a Christian household in which a curious skeptic teen is denied access to secular literature). You and I can disagree with the importance or applicability of any ethical principle, it doesn't negate the nature of the principle. Recognizing an ethical principle as such (don't harm animals) doesn't require we adhere to all of it's possible consequences (eating vegan, maybe).
- bkmartin 9y agoFree speech is not a "moral principal". Who deemed it such? With what authority was your idea of free speech deemed a "moral principal"? There is a reason why free speech is in the constitution... and it has everything to do with the "government", whatever form that may be, and their handling of their citizens. It says nothing of how the private citizens handle such speech within their own liberty and private spaces.
- snakeanus 9y agoSure, this might be a private business and they might be free not to deliver certain content but this does not exempt them from criticism. Just like they are free not to map the address to the ip of that site so are people free to criticise them for this kind of censorship.
- fra 9y agoI'm sorry, did I stifle your right to criticize them? Criticize away! And it's my right to criticize your criticism ;).
- stale2002 9y agoOK, how about the concept of censorship? It certainly has a lot to do with that. And it is important to oppose censorship no matter who is doing it.