What Speech Should Be Acceptable to Restrict?

[Foxfyre]

It is not what you say.
It is not how you say it.
It is how the listener opts to interpret it.
That being said, any restriction will open the door to the mute law. All people are not allowed to speak.

We can't get around people hearing what we say differently than we intend it.

But we can assert our unalienable right to express ourselves in non violent ways without somebody assuming the right to punish us because they want to hear it differently than we intended it.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

ATTENTION FOLKS - LET'S DRAG THE TRAIN BACK ONTO THE TRACKS.

I do NOT want to get enmeshed in another diatribe on the "n" word please. And please take any food fights to the Flame Zone. I would very much like for this thread NOT to wind up there.

The analogy is appropriate in how it is interpreted by the people using the word.

My contention is that I don't want my political speech to HAVE to be interpreted in any way other than what I intend by it.

That all depends on the tone and timbre of your speech. Make wild accusations about the president and his policies, you step outside that safe zone. Put cross hairs over the photos and districts of your political opposition, again, out of bounds.

Nah. Not really.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

It is not what you say.
It is not how you say it.
It is how the listener opts to interpret it.
That being said, any restriction will open the door to the mute law. All people are not allowed to speak.

We can't get around people hearing what we say differently than we intend it.

But we can assert our unalienable right to express ourselves in non violent ways without somebody assuming the right to punish us because they want to hear it differently than we intended it.

Given their thinking.... if I threaten to "shoot down" an argument, they're all ducking and running for cover. I think people just need to calm the f down.

 

[WillowTree]

ATTENTION FOLKS - LET'S DRAG THE TRAIN BACK ONTO THE TRACKS.

I do NOT want to get enmeshed in another diatribe on the "n" word please. And please take any food fights to the Flame Zone. I would very much like for this thread NOT to wind up there.

The analogy is appropriate in how it is interpreted by the people using the word.

My contention is that I don't want my political speech to HAVE to be interpreted in any way other than what I intend by it.

That all depends on the tone and timbre of your speech. Make wild accusations about the president and his policies, you step outside that safe zone. Put cross hairs over the photos and districts of your political opposition, again, out of bounds.

but I'm sure "Republicans want you to die quickly" is a okay,, how about "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for." How about a picture of Mrs. Palin with a gun to her head? How about Mrs. Palin hung in effigy? We'll wait.

 

[Jarhead]

ATTENTION FOLKS - LET'S DRAG THE TRAIN BACK ONTO THE TRACKS.

I do NOT want to get enmeshed in another diatribe on the "n" word please. And please take any food fights to the Flame Zone. I would very much like for this thread NOT to wind up there.

The analogy is appropriate in how it is interpreted by the people using the word.

My contention is that I don't want my political speech to HAVE to be interpreted in any way other than what I intend by it.

That all depends on the tone and timbre of your speech. Make wild accusations about the president and his policies, you step outside that safe zone. Put cross hairs over the photos and districts of your political opposition, again, out of bounds.

really?

So "x marks the spot" is no longer acceptable?

Crosshairs which is used to imply a "target" comes acrross too violent?

Funny...I never saw it as violent...I saw it as an indication of a target...but not for violence...

SO I guess maybe we should stop using the word target? Afterall...that too can imply violence...

 

[WillowTree]

How about the "Tan Man" I'm sure that's cool with liberals innit?

 

[WillowTree]

Look at my signature line. Does that meet liberals approval?

 

[Jarhead]

obama was going to disect legislation with a scalpel.
Sounds kind of violent to me

Jeez....you guys are hysterical.

Crosshairs implies violence....Gimme a break.

 

[Foxfyre]

ATTENTION FOLKS - LET'S DRAG THE TRAIN BACK ONTO THE TRACKS.

I do NOT want to get enmeshed in another diatribe on the "n" word please. And please take any food fights to the Flame Zone. I would very much like for this thread NOT to wind up there.

The analogy is appropriate in how it is interpreted by the people using the word.

My contention is that I don't want my political speech to HAVE to be interpreted in any way other than what I intend by it.

That all depends on the tone and timbre of your speech. Make wild accusations about the president and his policies, you step outside that safe zone. Put cross hairs over the photos and districts of your political opposition, again, out of bounds.

So I can't accuse the President with something YOU consider 'wild'? Who decides what is wild?

If I say I am going to shoot or kill or harm __________ or I urge those listening to me to do so, then yes, there is no way to not take that as a threat, but to call ____________an idiot or a Marxist or a blowhard or whatever might be uncouth, but it sure is not inciting to violence and should be perfectly within bounds.

Likewise crosshairs and targets in non violent context have been part and parcel of the American culture and language for as long as I can remember. Why should I now have to interpret them only one way because you or anybody else says that I do?

 

[LordBrownTrout]

When O said, "they bring a knife, we bring a gun", paraphrasing, I just wasn't worried so the crosshair thing doesn't bother me either.

 

[WillowTree]

When O said, "they bring a knife, we bring a gun", paraphrasing, I just wasn't worried so the crosshair thing doesn't bother me either.

He doesn't have crosshairs on he gun?

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Wonder how long before Bubba from Arkansas comes out and officially blames it all on Rush Limbaugh like he did after OK City?

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

When O said, "they bring a knife, we bring a gun", paraphrasing, I just wasn't worried so the crosshair thing doesn't bother me either.

He doesn't have crosshairs on he gun?

These enlightened, erudite libs haven't much understanding of the term metaphor do they?

 

[WillowTree]

When O said, "they bring a knife, we bring a gun", paraphrasing, I just wasn't worried so the crosshair thing doesn't bother me either.

He doesn't have crosshairs on he gun?

These enlightened, erudite libs haven't much understanding of the term metaphor do they?

 

[Jarhead]

How about that Golf analyst who used the term lynch mob when referring to the other golfers getting beaten up on the course by Tiger Woods. The entire left ranted and raved....yet Tiger Woods was not bothered by it one bit.
Ironically, she was one of Tigers closest friends and she had no idea of the history of the term lynch mob.
Yet...she was forced by the left to apologize to him and to her audience.

LOL....We are going to find ourselves in trouble for saying "we are gonna beat your asses" on the football field.

 

[Jarhead]

I can see it now...Tom Brady refusing to playbecuase Mark Sanchez says in a press conference "we got their number"....
I can see it now...
Tom Brady:

"I refuse to enter the field of play. They threatened me and I now fear for my life"

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

I can see it now...Tom Brady refusing to playbecuase Mark Sanchez says in a press conference "we got their number"....
I can see it now...
Tom Brady:

"I refuse to enter the field of play. They threatened me and I now fear for my life"

You laugh... but it is Brady. He's already been told to "take off the skirt".

 

[Foxfyre]

I can see it now...Tom Brady refusing to playbecuase Mark Sanchez says in a press conference "we got their number"....
I can see it now...
Tom Brady:

"I refuse to enter the field of play. They threatened me and I now fear for my life"

Repeating one paragraph from Shafer's essay quoted in the OP:

. . . .For as long as I’ve been alive, crosshairs and bull’s-eyes have been an accepted part of the graphical lexicon when it comes to political debates. Such “inflammatory” words as targeting, attacking, destroying, blasting, crushing, burying, knee-capping, and others have similarly guided political thought and action. Not once have the use of these images or words tempted me or anybody else I know to kill. I’ve listened to, read—and even written!—vicious attacks on government without reaching for my gun. I’ve even gotten angry, for goodness’ sake, without coming close to assassinating (anyone).

 

[Jarhead]

I can see it now...Tom Brady refusing to playbecuase Mark Sanchez says in a press conference "we got their number"....
I can see it now...
Tom Brady:

"I refuse to enter the field of play. They threatened me and I now fear for my life"

You laugh... but it is Brady. He's already been told to "take off the skirt".

Thats why I used Brady in my example.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

How about that Golf analyst who used the term lynch mob when referring to the other golfers getting beaten up on the course by Tiger Woods. The entire left ranted and raved....yet Tiger Woods was not bothered by it one bit.
Ironically, she was one of Tigers closest friends and she had no idea of the history of the term lynch mob.
Yet...she was forced by the left to apologize to him and to her audience.

LOL....We are going to find ourselves in trouble for saying "we are gonna beat your asses" on the football field.

I think you're last statement may be occurring already since some schools are not keeping score during games and such due to offending the losing team.

I remember playing dodgeball in 6th grade in Kentucky. There was no mercy. We lined up behind a brick wall while two threw the ball. We were bruised, bloodied, scraped, but hell, it was fun.