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The only instance in which he's ever engaged in "publicly defending pedophilia" was in remarks he made 20 years ago about the innocuity of "voluntary" sex with

The only instance in which he's ever engaged in "publicly defending pedophilia" was in remarks he made 20 years ago about the innocuity of "voluntary" sex with minors. He has since retracted those statements and publicly espoused a different and more informed opinion. There's certainly a large amount of very low-quality journalism engaging in bad-faith interpretations of things he's said in other contexts, though these aren't serious characterizations, only hallucinations manufactured by professional scheisters to fulfill unspoken agendas. At this point dredging it up and holding it against him in-perpetuity is a bit wrongheaded.

graemep 8mo ago
Of course restrict it to his opinions on software licensing. I think that is the sort of thing people mean when they say he was right. Lots of people made similar claims. Most notably The National Council for Civil Liberties (now called Liberty), the UK's leading civil/human rights organisation made submissions to parliament claiming that sex with minors was not always harmful, had a pro-paedo organisation as an affiliate and give them a representative on the gay rights subcommittee: https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/scotland-travel/the-final-cut-paedophile-information-exchange-gns6d5jt9vt https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/scotl... The people involved were unaffected, some reaching fairly high political permissions. A lot of other people whose works are respected have actually had sex with minors. Eric Gill and Oscar Wilde for example. None of that makes Stallman's opinions defensible in my opinion. On the other hand I am happy to ignore his opinions on that topic and still value his opinions on other things.
- ux266478 8mo ago
  The entire point is of my post is that it's no longer his opinion. > Through personal conversations in recent years, I've learned to understand how sex with a child can harm per psychologically. This changed my mind about the matter: I think adults should not do that. https://stallman.org/archives/2019-sep-dec.html#14_September_2019_(Sex_between_an_adult_and_a_child_is_wrong) https://stallman.org/archives/2019-sep-dec.html#14_September...
  - graemep 8mo ago
    Both your point and my point are true. Obviously I am glad he has abandoned his opinions. I do think it is terrible that the politicians, activists, teachers etc. who held such opinions in the past did not suffer severe career consequences even if they subsequently changed their opinions. I think they cannot be trusted in those areas. However, Stallman is not in such an area.
peaseagee 8mo ago
Tell that to my spouse who, at age 14, was given his contact card by him directly.
- corndoge 8mo ago
  Wow, I'd be thrilled if I met stallman and got his contact card at age 14!
- dTal 8mo ago
  I'm not following - are you implying that handing a contact card to someone is a sexual pass? Or is it only considered sexual when the recipient is underage?
- ekjhgkejhgk 8mo ago
  I wish at 14 I had people of such integrity around me.

graemep 8mo ago

Of course restrict it to his opinions on software licensing. I think that is the sort of thing people mean when they say he was right. Lots of people made similar claims. Most notably The National Council for Civil Liberties (now called Liberty), the UK's leading civil/human rights organisation made submissions to parliament claiming that sex with minors was not always harmful, had a pro-paedo organisation as an affiliate and give them a representative on the gay rights subcommittee: https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/scotland-travel/the-final-cut-paedophile-information-exchange-gns6d5jt9vt https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/scotl... The people involved were unaffected, some reaching fairly high political permissions. A lot of other people whose works are respected have actually had sex with minors. Eric Gill and Oscar Wilde for example. None of that makes Stallman's opinions defensible in my opinion. On the other hand I am happy to ignore his opinions on that topic and still value his opinions on other things.

ux266478 8mo ago
The entire point is of my post is that it's no longer his opinion. > Through personal conversations in recent years, I've learned to understand how sex with a child can harm per psychologically. This changed my mind about the matter: I think adults should not do that. https://stallman.org/archives/2019-sep-dec.html#14_September_2019_(Sex_between_an_adult_and_a_child_is_wrong) https://stallman.org/archives/2019-sep-dec.html#14_September...
- graemep 8mo ago
  Both your point and my point are true. Obviously I am glad he has abandoned his opinions. I do think it is terrible that the politicians, activists, teachers etc. who held such opinions in the past did not suffer severe career consequences even if they subsequently changed their opinions. I think they cannot be trusted in those areas. However, Stallman is not in such an area.

peaseagee 8mo ago

Tell that to my spouse who, at age 14, was given his contact card by him directly.

corndoge 8mo ago
Wow, I'd be thrilled if I met stallman and got his contact card at age 14!
dTal 8mo ago
I'm not following - are you implying that handing a contact card to someone is a sexual pass? Or is it only considered sexual when the recipient is underage?
ekjhgkejhgk 8mo ago
I wish at 14 I had people of such integrity around me.