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Freedom of speech?


observer

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Should this be an absolute freedom to say/write what one wishes, regardless of any offence, real or imagined, that it may give to others?

 

As long as it isn't designed to incite hatred or harm against a particular individual or group, and in accordance with the current law, yes.

 

I'd reserve the right to ridicule anything though, which isn't the same as inciting all the killy stuff.

 

"Absolutes" don't work very well in a modern society.

 

Feeling "edgy", obs?

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All media are subject to censorship - including in the US - and Twitter is no exception. I don't think the lad should have gone to jail, but he should have been banned from the site and cautioned by police.

 

Twitter is essentially a public place and anybody who thinks that some little arsehole has the right to stand up in a public place and openly mock and belittle a five year old girl who has in all likelihood been raped, murdered then tossed away like rubbish by some scumbag, hasn't considered how they'd feel if that public place was Golden Square rather than the Internet. I can't see many people defending the right of this kid to walk down the street shouting what he said so I wouldn't expect people to be defending his right to say it on Twitter either.

 

* Sorry - I mean Facebook

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All media are subject to censorship - including in the US - and Twitter is no exception. I don't think the lad should have gone to jail, but he should have been banned from the site and cautioned by police.

 

Twitter is essentially a public place and anybody who thinks that some little arsehole has the right to stand up in a public place and openly mock and belittle a five year old girl who has in all likelihood been raped, murdered then tossed away like rubbish by some scumbag, hasn't considered how they'd feel if that public place was Golden Square rather than the Internet. I can't see many people defending the right of this kid to walk down the street shouting what he said so I wouldn't expect people to be defending his right to say it on Twitter either.

 

:shock::blink: April Jones...? Twitter...? Is that what this thread is all about? I hadn't seen either of them mentioned in any of the posts until this one. I was thinking the thread was about freedom of speech in general. :unsure:

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I recall during the cold war, that the main moral bonus we had over the Soviet Bloc, was "freedom of speech"; so I thought establishing the principle and any boundaries, a more rational approach, prior to the usual expeditions down tangents. Providing one isn't inciting acts of violence or conspiring to commit a crime; I would hope freedom of speech means exactly that. There are protections within the law against slander and libel, unfortunately the majority can't afford that option. There are also common sense self restrictions, assuming sense is common; that would prevent someone entering a Mosque for example and slagging off Mohamed (peace be upon him) or entering a Synagog singing the Horst Wessel. Comedians often draw our attention to some forms of public behaviour, which may be considered sick jokes by some if not most; but that's surely the point, if there is no confidence to withstand such p**s taking, one should really re-examine one's belief or actions. Finally, we enter the world of facebook and twitter; where we seem to have arrived in a grey area; and possibly the young idiot who posted sick jokes, could arguably have been said to be inciting violence - upon himself, as the Police initially locked him up for his own safety. :shock:

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Nobody at any time and anywhere in the world has ever had complete freedom of speech and that is exactly as it should be. The only debate can be about where the line is drawn, not about whether anything goes. While I don't believe what this lad did warranted a prison sentence, it was repeated behaviour and was absolutely revolting and in the public domain. As I said, he wouldn't walk around saying it to just anybody in the street, so he shouldn't do it in any other public domain. If he wants to text it to his mates, that is up to him and they can form their own opinion but that is not what he did. It was public and indecent.

 

What I do know obs is that you don't believe in complete freedom of speech either. Nobody does, unless you think the 'jokes' this lad told and the comments he made are suitable for small children. If you give the answer 'no', then you've answered your own original question.

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I agree, we have never had or will have completely free speech, and. I also agree it should be so. Sadly their will always be people who try to push boundaries .

 

Asp

 

Still looking forward to hearing your views on free speech, as you questioned my view without giving yours.

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