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Another thinkpiece positing that facing consequences for saying fucked up shit is somehow a bad thing. How many of these must we suffer through? Why do none of
by devmor 4y ago
Another thinkpiece positing that facing consequences for saying fucked up shit is somehow a bad thing.
How many of these must we suffer through? Why do none of these people grasp the concept that when you speak to other people, they do not have to passively absorb your words?
This author, like many others, could use the sage advice my father gave me in 5th grade when I taunted and made fun of another student and got beat up for it: "Don't let your mouth write checks your ass can't cash."
- Swenrekcah 4y agoThere are two distinct things people often confuse on either side of this issue. Say a stupid/offending/violent thing and you’ll face consequences from 1) other people listening in the form of shunning/shouting/lost opportunities/laughing. 2) the government in form of fines or even imprisonment. People on both sides get all hot and bothered when they receive 1) and complain that they have freedom of speech or that their opponents are bigots. This should mostly be ignored, like you said: "Don't let your mouth write checks your ass can't cash." Some people however want their opponents to face 2) and that is very dangerous. That is literally fascism and this sentiment exists on both sides as well. It’s 2) we need to defend against and pretending that we’re only talking about 1) is a fatal misunderstanding.
- devmor 4y agoThe problem is that people keep getting upset at 1) and use 2) as a justification for why it's "morally wrong" for 1) to be happening to them. I have genuinely never seen anyone calling for 2) outside of nations run by theocracies and dictators, with the exception of the UK.
- Swenrekcah 4y agoI see numerous calls for hate speech laws to be used against all sorts of people every year in many democratic countries.