4 ms·

Sorry this really is a weak argument. First of all, "free speech" is not and shouldn't be considered absolute. Freedom to express your ideas, yes. Freedom to be

Sorry this really is a weak argument. First of all, "free speech" is not and shouldn't be considered absolute. Freedom to express your ideas, yes. Freedom to be obscene? No. We are not granted rights by the Government. We have natural rights and they are not to be infringed by the Government. That's how our Constitution is supposed to work and that's why we left England in the first place.

janalsncm 3y ago
Sure, some speech isn’t protected. You can’t threaten the President for example. But the fact is, the question of whether speech is or is not allowed is far too often a matter of commercial viability rather than objective political value. Look no further than Kanye West being “cancelled” only after a long history of racism and idiotic remarks. The profitability of his Yeezy shoes bought him a lot more free speech than you or I would ever be granted. Couple that with the fact that healthcare is usually at the mercy of your employer, and very few people in the U.S. truly have the liberty to say what they really think. And before you say there’s nothing worth saying which you would be fired for, ask yourself how long you could maintain good graces if you were known to be promoting unionization.
- anon291 3y ago
  Actually, you can threaten the president. Several celebrities posted images of Trump beheaded and were not arrested, and were indeed met with wide acclaim.
  - janalsncm 3y ago
    It’s a felony in fact. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatening_the_president_of_the_United_States https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatening_the_president_of...
    - anon291 3y ago
      Doesn't seem enforced unless there's actual steps taken. I'm just saying what I've seen. I've heard many baseless threats made against various presidents and no one cares.
      - janalsncm 3y ago
        Rights aren’t simply the absence of enforcement. The fact that threats against the president aren’t prosecuted doesn’t make those threats protected 1A speech.

janalsncm 3y ago

Sure, some speech isn’t protected. You can’t threaten the President for example. But the fact is, the question of whether speech is or is not allowed is far too often a matter of commercial viability rather than objective political value. Look no further than Kanye West being “cancelled” only after a long history of racism and idiotic remarks. The profitability of his Yeezy shoes bought him a lot more free speech than you or I would ever be granted. Couple that with the fact that healthcare is usually at the mercy of your employer, and very few people in the U.S. truly have the liberty to say what they really think. And before you say there’s nothing worth saying which you would be fired for, ask yourself how long you could maintain good graces if you were known to be promoting unionization.

anon291 3y ago
Actually, you can threaten the president. Several celebrities posted images of Trump beheaded and were not arrested, and were indeed met with wide acclaim.
- janalsncm 3y ago
  It’s a felony in fact. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatening_the_president_of_the_United_States https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatening_the_president_of...
  - anon291 3y ago
    Doesn't seem enforced unless there's actual steps taken. I'm just saying what I've seen. I've heard many baseless threats made against various presidents and no one cares.
    - janalsncm 3y ago
      Rights aren’t simply the absence of enforcement. The fact that threats against the president aren’t prosecuted doesn’t make those threats protected 1A speech.