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Destroy, or show there are ramifications for speech? I find the "I can say whatever I want, it's just words" to be an immature stance to hold. Words hold power
by isbjorn16 6y ago
Destroy, or show there are ramifications for speech?
I find the "I can say whatever I want, it's just words" to be an immature stance to hold. Words hold power, and power can be used or misused. We know words hold power; otherwise protesting wouldn't work, MLK's letters from a birmingham jail wouldn't matter, even the very constitution itself would be pointless.
So if that power is being applied to harm people, there needs to be a check on that. I fully agree it isn't the government's role to play that part; it's society's full, universal, democratic decision what to do with it.
The final result is "if you say something so upsetting that you can get a large group of people to use their own words and freedom to associate to harm you in return, then that's on you". If you don't like the worst that the so-called "cancel culture" response can bring you, then the solution is relatively simple: choose your words carefully and own them.
- AnimalMuppet 6y ago> it's society's full, universal, democratic decision what to do with it. That might be fine, if that were the way it worked. In practice, though, it seems more that it's a minority forming a howling mob that brings the heat. > "if you say something so upsetting that you can get a large group of people to use their own words and freedom to associate to harm you in return, then that's on you" I prefer the legal system to mob "justice".