Subj : free speech
To : jimmylogan
From : Boraxman
Date : Wed May 21 2025 11:23 pm
Re: free speech
By: jimmylogan to MRO on Tue May 20 2025 08:38 pm
> Interesting that you mention the KKK. I was talking to a friend
> who said a Swastika flag was 'hate speech.' I said it's still
> FREE speech. You don't have to like it.
>
I disagree. I think you misunderstand what Free Speech is for. Most do.
I don't like the "hate speech is not free speech" argument, I think its
subterfuge to block political opinion, but Free Speech is not about your right
to express yourself however you want.
People think that Free Speech is about you saying what you like. The idea, the
supporting philosophy for Free Speech is the need for ideas to be challenged,
and for ideas to be challenged, then there must be protection for those
challenging.
Free Speech is there to ensure that people are able to hear other peoples
ideas, in particular, those which challenge the established norms, powers and
are not the mainstream position.
The purpose of Free Speech, is to ensure that YOU can hear my argument if you
want to, and ensure that I can make my argument to those who are a willing
audience. If you are blocked from hearing arguments, you are harmed. It harms
you more than me, because I already know what I'm going to say, but you don't.
Flying a swastica says nothing. It is not an argument, not a statement, and no
one is harmed, or loses out on understanding a contrary point of view, by not
being able to see one. Not that I necessarily think that ban is right, but its
ont a free speech issue really.
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