5 ms·

> He sounds like a fairly radicalized activist who did some seriously questionable stuff Most of his arrests are either for stuff I don't care about (i.e. poss

by 59nadir 13y ago

> He sounds like a fairly radicalized activist who did some seriously questionable stuff Most of his arrests are either for stuff I don't care about (i.e. possession of marijuana, which is just a stupid law) or for things I'm, to some extent, happy someone is doing even if I wouldn't ever do them myself. The most misguided one seems to be storming a restaurant and harassing the guests, which is just misdirected bullshit even if you do dislike the owner. The guests hadn't done anything wrong. Beating the shit out of an anti-gay protester I couldn't possibly care less about, though. Going to a pride parade and protesting against homosexuality should get your ass kicked, even if it's against the law. The law isn't "what's right" so while I'm not a violent person myself I can't see an issue with that one.

tga_d 13y ago
If I recall correctly, in regards to the incident at the restaurant: it wasn't owned by the person the demonstrators had issue with, it WAS the patron (David Irving, who is a Nazi "sympathizer," to say the least) they disliked. One reason it got coverage is that another patron was accidentally hit by a bottle one of the demonstrators threw (not Hammond).
- tptacek 13y ago
  Who does this? Who storms a restaurant because a bunch of sad old Holocaust deniers are having dinner there? What important world problem are they correcting? Holocaust denial? Just calling someone a Holocaust denier is enough to entirely marginalize them. Are these "radicals" living by their principles? Or are they really just looking for excuses to fuck shit up?
teddyh 13y ago
> Beating the shit out of an anti-gay protester I couldn't possibly care less about, though. So freedom of speech is only for things you (and I) agree with?
- tptacek 13y ago
  Yes, that is exactly what he is saying.
- 59nadir 13y ago
  Getting your ass beat because you're a stupid douchebag is hardly the blow against free speech you're making it out to be. Truth is there are lots of things that make people deserve beatings that are well within the parameters of the law. From a legal perspective we tolerate lots of things. That doesn't mean it's some big mystery to people that you might get beaten up if you're stupid enough to go to a pride parade and protest against homosexuality. If anything, it's a lesson in not being stupid.
  - teddyh 13y ago
    It's not a big mystery, but, unlike you, I care about people getting assaulted for peacefully expressing their dissenting opinion, no matter how stupid they might be. I believe in caring about the right of unpopular opinions to be expressed — this is the essence of free speech.
    - 59nadir 13y ago
      I care about them being allowed to express their opinions, but I'm also realistic enough to realize there are venues and times where those opinions should get them beat up. They can create whole movements if they'd like to, I don't care. How you make your voice heard matters and in this case it was so obviously right for them to get "assaulted". Even more so with the almost too obvious possibility that they went there expecting a bunch of docile homosexuals that were too passive to do anything about their shit and learned the hard way that being a fucking asshole can get you in trouble regardless of where you go. To reiterate: I don't care what their opinions are but I certainly think it's right in every way except the law for them to get beat up when they express it in that way and in that particular setting/venue.

by 59nadir 13y ago

tga_d 13y ago

If I recall correctly, in regards to the incident at the restaurant: it wasn't owned by the person the demonstrators had issue with, it WAS the patron (David Irving, who is a Nazi "sympathizer," to say the least) they disliked. One reason it got coverage is that another patron was accidentally hit by a bottle one of the demonstrators threw (not Hammond).

tptacek 13y ago
Who does this? Who storms a restaurant because a bunch of sad old Holocaust deniers are having dinner there? What important world problem are they correcting? Holocaust denial? Just calling someone a Holocaust denier is enough to entirely marginalize them. Are these "radicals" living by their principles? Or are they really just looking for excuses to fuck shit up?

teddyh 13y ago

> Beating the shit out of an anti-gay protester I couldn't possibly care less about, though. So freedom of speech is only for things you (and I) agree with?

tptacek 13y ago
Yes, that is exactly what he is saying.
59nadir 13y ago
Getting your ass beat because you're a stupid douchebag is hardly the blow against free speech you're making it out to be. Truth is there are lots of things that make people deserve beatings that are well within the parameters of the law. From a legal perspective we tolerate lots of things. That doesn't mean it's some big mystery to people that you might get beaten up if you're stupid enough to go to a pride parade and protest against homosexuality. If anything, it's a lesson in not being stupid.
- teddyh 13y ago
  It's not a big mystery, but, unlike you, I care about people getting assaulted for peacefully expressing their dissenting opinion, no matter how stupid they might be. I believe in caring about the right of unpopular opinions to be expressed — this is the essence of free speech.
  - 59nadir 13y ago
    I care about them being allowed to express their opinions, but I'm also realistic enough to realize there are venues and times where those opinions should get them beat up. They can create whole movements if they'd like to, I don't care. How you make your voice heard matters and in this case it was so obviously right for them to get "assaulted". Even more so with the almost too obvious possibility that they went there expecting a bunch of docile homosexuals that were too passive to do anything about their shit and learned the hard way that being a fucking asshole can get you in trouble regardless of where you go. To reiterate: I don't care what their opinions are but I certainly think it's right in every way except the law for them to get beat up when they express it in that way and in that particular setting/venue.