Free Speech

ID:1998763
 
Dec 15 2015, 7:56 pm

Poll: What degree of free speech do you favor

Total 64% (9)
Partially Restricted 35% (5)
Fully Restricted 0% (0)

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This is an interesting topic for me, especially with the recent incidents in higher education. The question is simple. How much free speech is okay to you? What I mean with the answers is this:

Total: You can say anything you want
Partially Restricted: You can say anything you want but only if you say them in a certain way. Say, if someone wanted to recognize Hitler as a very humane being but was forced to add some kind of qualifier (or perhaps apologetic connotation) referencing the Holocaust or something.
Fully Restricted: There are some things you just can't say.
Dec 15 2015, 8:22 pm
Well, full restriction of speech is a little unrealistic except for some North-Korean-esque society. Pretty much every society has speech partialy restricted, it's just a matter of where you fall on that spectrum. The common example is yelling "Fire!" in a movie theater. There are good arguments for why that should be illegal, as there are for other issues like it. Where we draw the line is really the question, and I'm not sure many people have an answer ready for that question.

I'd just say that we should be able to say whatever we want as long as it does not threaten the safety of other people. There are a lot of amendments I could make to that (where to draw the line on the threatening of psychological safety, for example, while physical safety is a little more cut-and-dry) but for the sake of simplicity, I'll leave it there.
Dec 15 2015, 8:48 pm
if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all
Dec 15 2015, 10:50 pm
Pretty much every society has speech partialy restricted, it's just a matter of where you fall on that spectrum.

Note I didn't ask about what your society does, but what you believe in.

Maybe I should tip the ante a bit with recent presidential candidate Trump. In a nation of free speech, should you permitted to say things that are racist, homophobic, transphobic, islamophobic, etc., without fear of prison time or some manner of consequence.
Dec 15 2015, 10:54 pm
I believe Hitler did nothing wrong.
Dec 16 2015, 3:00 am
In response to Popisfizzy
Popisfizzy wrote:
I believe Hitler did nothing wrong.

Well, he did kill hitler.. But he also killed the guy that killed hitler..

I myself believe in total free speech, I find little if nothing offensive.