4 ms·
"Free speech as a right to abuse people is not something I want to see" And if you take that to mean "people" as any group of people, then it means you aren't
by bmelton 11y ago
"Free speech as a right to abuse people is not something I want to see"
And if you take that to mean "people" as any group of people, then it means you aren't free to speak out against ISIS, or the attackers at Charlie Hebdo, or those doing things you think are objectively wrong.
In parts of the world now, it is not socially acceptable to speak out against the actions of Israel, as such critiques are considered anti-Semitic. Maybe this is fair, but if the Israeli state begins decapitating innocent people in the streets, should you be allowed to condemn it publicly?
It's a nice fantasy that the disenfranchised could somehow be immune from hateful or critical speech, but to suggest that there's ever any group that qualifies as saintly enough to deserve such protections is, I think, naive at best.
- learnstats2 11y agoExactly my point. You're saying that criticism is a form of abuse, and you imply that therefore that we must allow abuse. Criticism alone isn't a form of abuse. We should allow criticism and forbid abuse.
- bmelton 11y agoI personally can't think of any form of vocal criticism that devolves to abuse. Give me an example?