Free speech takes precedence over individual or group opinions

[dwarven]

Per the title, I'd like to discuss the growing trend in America to try and censor views that some people find disagreeable. Free speech is protected under the 1st Amendment as any speech that does not threaten or guarantee physical harm against someone. Let's discuss how important this right is to having a free society.

[derpkitteh]

it's by far one of, if not THE, most important of our rights.

i will always support it, no matter what.

[Lynarii]

it's by far one of, if not THE, most important of our rights.

i will always support it, no matter what.

I would never say that it is more important than the right to security of the person.

[purebalance]

I honestly didn't know how far the extent of free speech in the US went until this journalism law class I had. It's pretty astounding. Like I could get in trouble for burning a cross on a black person's lawn, but if I burned it on the whole neighborhood's lawn it wouldn't be hate speech.

Would still be vandalism and arson etc, but not a hate crime.

Guess I need to add that I would not do either of these, but it was a specific court case we had looked into as well as how WBC got away with lawsuits meanwhile a guy got convicted in the 40's for calling a cop a fascist.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Per the title, I'd like to discuss the growing trend in America to try and censor views that some people find disagreeable. Free speech is protected under the 1st Amendment as any speech that does not threaten or guarantee physical harm against someone. Let's discuss how important this right is to having a free society.

Perhaps it would help if you were to provide a few examples of this for us to discuss.

[Bodakane]

Per the title, I'd like to discuss the growing trend in America to try and censor views that some people find disagreeable. Free speech is protected under the 1st Amendment as any speech that does not threaten or guarantee physical harm against someone. Let's discuss how important this right is to having a free society.

Free speech stops censorship by the government.

The only place that is close to happeneing, is the way Trump is targeting the media.

[ohiostate124]

I do think it's important to let people like Milo speak. If you don't like what he says, beat him in a debate. Don't destroy your own community and physically assault people to prevent him from speaking. That's just going to make people more curious about what he has to say.

[dwarven]

Perhaps it would help if you were to provide a few examples of this for us to discuss.

From another thread:

[Deleted]

Per the title, I'd like to discuss the growing trend in America to try and censor views that some people find disagreeable. Free speech is protected under the 1st Amendment as any speech that does not threaten or guarantee physical harm against someone. Let's discuss how important this right is to having a free society.

Free speech has limits too, but I'm guessing you're not refering to such limits but rather to more extreme ideas of censoring opinions?
Because there are a lot of people who think that spewing hate, biggotry and the like is covered by free speech and defend themselves with "WELL IT'S FREE SPEECH!" and I find that much worse.

[Elba]

A citizen punching a Nazi is not a violation of the 1A.

[Torto]

I would never say that it is more important than the right to security of the person.

The problem is that the left has conflated 'security' with 'feelings'. Here in Australia if I choose to make a racist comment I can be arrested, even tho the comment doesn't physically harm anyone. But because I may offend someone I am breaking the law. There has been a debate here for several years now over a persons right to free speech over a persons right not to be offended.

But because the Human Rights Commission has been overrun by leftists, free speech here in Australia has been trampled into the dirt. The thought police have taken over.

[Dug]

From another thread:

We already have a thread on this topic.

[dwarven]

Free speech has limits too, but I'm guessing you're not refering to such limits but rather to more extreme ideas of censoring opinions?
Because there are a lot of people who think that spewing hate, biggotry and the like is covered by free speech and defend themselves with "WELL IT'S FREE SPEECH!" and I find that much worse.

Saying "I hate x group" is definitely protected speech, as it should be.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

From another thread:

That looks like an example of free speech

[dwarven]

That looks like an example of free speech

It is. But, if we didn't have free speech this person would likely have been fined or arrested.

[Dug]

Saying "I hate x group" is definitely protected speech, as it should be.

Saying it's okay to punch certain people is also free speech. Until they do or make a direct threat on a person then you can't really do anything to them. Unless you think neo nazi's calling for "peaceful ethnic cleansing" are not protected under free speech?

[Theodarzna]

Free speech stops censorship by the government.

The only place that is close to happeneing, is the way Trump is targeting the media.

Shouldn't free speech also be a cultural, personal and moral value?

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

It is. But, if we didn't have free speech this person would likely have been fined or arrested.

But i thought you wanted to talk the growing trend of censorship...rather than the lack of it.

[Stormspellz]

Free speech stops censorship by the government.

The only place that is close to happeneing, is the way Trump is targeting the media.

pretty much sums up my thoughts as well.

Some people will point at the far left, like the situation at Berkeley (which i think its more protesting the pos then preventing him from talking) but many of the people they point to have zero power or influence

[Lynarii]

People commonly misuse 'freedom of speech' though. Freedom of speech does NOT mean freedom from consequences of said speech. Freedom of speech does not mean that any specific organization has to provide you a forum for your speech, nor does it mean that people can not choose to distance themselves from you over something you have said. Freedom of speech does not mean that you can't be banned from a forum for inappropriate posts, nor does it mean that your opinion must be given equally valid weight next to others. Freedom of speech does not mean that people can't petition a company to request they not use a term that is offensive, nor does it mean that nobody can tell you to shut up.

Freedom of speech is about the government not arresting people for voicing disagreement with it. And even then it is sometimes rightly bounded by other critical rights (like death threats being illegal, or shouting 'fire' in a theater due to violating other people's right to personal safety).