What Nobody 'Gets' About Free Speech

[Bjorn]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What Nobody 'Gets' About Free Speech

The UK has an Incitement to Racial Hatred act and a provision in the Anti-Terrorism Act which covers incitement to religious hatred. If we include protests, or even gathering together in public to talk about stuff, then there's some rather scary provisions in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act as well as the Anti-Terrorist Act.

And in the US:

The Justice Department is now prosecuting Brett Bursey, who was arrested for holding a “No War for Oil” sign at a Bush visit to Columbia, S.C. Local police, acting under Secret Service orders, established a “free speech zone” half a mile from where Bush would speak. Bursey was standing amid hundreds of people carrying signs praising the president.

Free speech only if you agree ...

... the trend lines in federal attacks on freedom of speech should raise grave concerns to anyone worried about the First Amendment ...

Both quotes from the well-known lefties in "The American Conservative'.

http://www.amconmag.com/12_15_03/feature.html

 

[Nasarius]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What Nobody 'Gets' About Free Speech

Examples, please?

I was thinking more like Germany's banning of the Nazi party, symbols, etc. Would it violate the First Amendment in the US? Sure. Is it a big deal? Not really.

 

[jj]

Has anyone else heard anybody try this "oh, you're denying my freedom of speech" bullshirt? Doesn't it get seriously aggrevating?

Well, the guy seems to mingle "freedom to speak" with others "freedom to not listen".

But what about using the Secret Service to keep all anti-Bush demonstrators 8 blocks away, and held involuntarily against their will until he's gone?

Not all people who object to his policies are terrorists, Ashcroft's claims notwithstanding.

 

[Tmy]

I always found it odd that our govt would crusade so much against curse words, but not racial slurs. Its okay to toss around the n word but if the f-word slips out theres hell to pay!

 

[Bjorn]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What Nobody 'Gets' About Free Speech

I was thinking more like Germany's banning of the Nazi party, symbols, etc. Would it violate the First Amendment in the US? Sure. Is it a big deal? Not really.

But you are right.

To be banned in the US, speech would have to intend to produce "imminent lawless action" and it must be "likely to produce such action." Like "No war for oil" close to the president.

You made me curious: Is it illegal to say that you are a nazi in Germany?

 

[JAR]

This is a hard concept to get across to a lot of people that freedome of speech and/or expression does not mean freedom from consequences and reprecussions. It just means the government can't take retribution against one because one said something of which the government may not approve.

Chanileslie, what you have given us here is a brilliant definition of freedom of speech and expression. And you have also presented your definiton of it with a show of emotional detachment from the subject of free speech, which shows that in this case, you are reasoning more with logic than with emotion, which is a skill that is hard to find and which I wish to acquire, but so far have been a failure at acquiring.