Is freedom of thought and speech obsolete?

[jwoodie]

"I have sworn upon the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -Thomas Jefferson Memorial

"I may disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Do you agree or disagree with these concepts?

 

[Woodznutz]

"I have sworn upon the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -Thomas Jefferson Memorial

"I may disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Do you agree or disagree with these concepts?

I agree with Jefferson, not so much with Voltaire; too much incivility in the way things are said.

 

[g5000]

"I have sworn upon the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -Thomas Jefferson Memorial

"I may disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Do you agree or disagree with these concepts?

Of course. These beliefs are the foundation of part of the First Amendment.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

With Jefferson generally but not Voltaire.

 

[candycorn]

With Jefferson generally but not Voltaire.

Yeah. In the past--one could count on their fellow man to not say something bizarrely offensive. Today, the political right has made it fashionable.

 

[Concerned American]

Yeah. In the past--one could count on their fellow man to not say something bizarrely offensive. Today, the political right has made it fashionable.

Awww, did you get your feelings hurt because of what someone said? Piss off Snowflake.

 

[Michelle420]

Is freedom of thought and speech obsolete?​

Yes in this Country it's gone.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Awww, did you get your feelings hurt because of what someone said? Piss off Snowflake.

So you act like a prick. And anyone with a brain laughs at what you write. Keep doing it and entertain people here.

 

[Concerned American]

So you act like a prick. And anyone with a brain laughs at what you write. Keep doing it and entertain people here.

So you act like a dictator trying to limit people's speech. Fuck off Snowflake.

 

[g5000]

Yeah. In the past--one could count on their fellow man to not say something bizarrely offensive. Today, the political right has made it fashionable.

Actually, the rhetoric of political campaigns at the beginning of our democracy makes today's backbiting look almost tame.

 

[Orangecat]

So you act like a prick. And anyone with a brain laughs at what you write. Keep doing it and entertain people here.

So you didn’t laugh?

 

[TemplarKormac]

"I have sworn upon the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -Thomas Jefferson Memorial

"I may disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Do you agree or disagree with these concepts?

Thought no. You can think whatever you want. Thought is uncontrollable. Speech is a bit trickier.

But given how divided our families are, you don't need the government to control either, when you have to walk on eggshells around the ones you love.

 

[g5000]

Is freedom of thought and speech obsolete?​

Yes in this Country it's gone.

Horseshit.

Libel and slander have always been illegal. Fox News and Alex Jones have learned that the hard way.

That's does not mean free speech is gone.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Horseshit.

Libel and slander have always been illegal. Fox News and Alex Jones have learned that the hard way.

That's does not mean free speech is gone.

The Democrat party acting in their role of governance having worked directly with social media to censor certain views DID end it.


You just don't care because the views that were censored were not yours.

 

[TemplarKormac]

Horseshit.

Libel and slander have always been illegal. Fox News and Alex Jones have learned that the hard way.

That's does not mean free speech is gone.

Illegal yes, but also free speech. So, that right there is an infringement on the 1st Amendment. Does it mean you should go around doing it? No, but it is still speech, and yes there are consequences.

But I'm just being overly technical. Carry on.

 

[g5000]

Illegal yes, but also free speech. So, that right there is an infringement on the 1st Amendment. Does it mean you should go around doing it? No, but it is still speech, and yes there are consequences.

But I'm just being overly technical. Carry on.

You are not free to rob someone of their hard-earned good reputation. That's what libel and slander are.

For you to blow that up to "free speech is dead" is beyond stupid.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

"I have sworn upon the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -Thomas Jefferson Memorial

"I may disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Do you agree or disagree with these concepts?

“Is freedom of thought and speech obsolete?”

Of course not – it’s very much alive and relevant.

But it is under attack by the authoritarian, neo-fascist right; by conservatives who seek to compel conformity and punish dissent.

We know this to be true the consequence of Republican efforts to ban books and drag shows, with laws that deny transgender Americans their right to free expression, measures that criminalize the teaching of facts and the truth in schools, that violate the First Amendment rights of social media, and that vilify and demonize gay Americans.

American’s of good faith need to fight back against the right’s agenda hostile to freedom of thought and speech, in the courts and at the ballot box.

 

[TemplarKormac]

You are not free to rob someone of their hard-earned good reputation. That's what libel and slander are.

For you to blow that up to "free speech is dead" is beyond stupid.

Explain cancel culture then. Will or should we apply that to libel and slander?

 

[scruffy]

I agree with Jefferson, not so much with Voltaire; too much incivility in the way things are said.

Well aint you just the snowflake.

Too bad the brutal truth offends you.

 

[scruffy]

Is freedom of thought and speech obsolete?​

Yes in this Country it's gone.

No it isn't. It's alive and well right here.

Come on, in all fairness the mods may move things around but I've never known em to edit posts or censor text. Have you?

Generally there's a free exchange of ideas on this forum, yes?