Do you feel free to express your beliefs?

[Sawbriars]

The worst that can happen to folks who speak their mind is that others will quit talking to you. The answer is to continue to be pleasant, continue to talk and eventually they will forget they are no longer talking to you - and they will begin talking to you again. It's that simple.

Do you live in a cave or a gated community with walls so high that daylight cannot seep in?

In a nutshell: No Edith it is not that simple.

HAGELIN: IRS targeting puts free speech under attack - Washington Times

 

[O.R.I.O.N]

Afraid no.I say what I want when I want to who I want.They don't like it its not my problem.

 

[Truthmatters]

people can keep you from being heard by others sometimes

 

[kaz]

Sorry. Your OP is just retarded.

There has been no change...over the past few years....in how Americans conduct themselves in public regarding discussions about politics or religion. That is just ridiculous. Nobody of an official nature is listening.

My favorite part about your retarded thread is that you are butthurt about not being able to express your racist tendencies out in the open. Poor guy! You don't feel comfy letting others know that you lack tolerance.

What you are "witnessing" is people being polite. Not fear.

Now...some pointers.

You use "a.k.a" way too often.

Paragraph four is word salad.

You contradict yourself in paragraph number five.

Please, the biggest issue is political correctness. Political correctness gives the people who used to be ignored and should be ignored power they don't deserve. They are the ones who like to be unpleasant and want to be offended. And they are very good at it.

 

[LoneLaugher]

The biggest issue? Yer funny.....in a stupid sort of way.

 

[hazlnut]

Fear of expressing your beliefs is different that fear of offending another.


Fear of blowback from racist or homophobic comments is NOT suppression of speech.


A private TV network is not bound by the Civil Rights Act like a diner or gas station is.


Get it?

 

[Truthmatters]

having to be very careful what you talk about or you will be shut up completely is another thing.

I wish I could speak freely about what I believe but its not allowed

 

[JakeStarkey]

Nothing of the sort of "all way tooooo reminiscent of the fear that pervaded the lives of the citizens of Russia during the Stalinist Era", but certainly the latter is what white nationalist supremacists want to invoke if they could take control.

 

[Truthmatters]

there are FACTS people just refuse to accept.


if those people have enough power (even tiny scraps can be enough) they can make sure you are not heard.


Its life

 

[pvsi]

I am not just talking about Religious Beliefs but any and everything from politics to sports to whatever.

In a nutshell....what I am asking is......are you afraid to say what you think about anything of a controversial nature? aka are you just afraid of offending someone or are you afraid that someone of a official nature may be listening....even at a restaurant, at your office or in some other public place....of course we know that they are damn well monitoring these message boards.

I have noticed a remarkable reluctance over the past few years for people to talk about anything that might be considered controversial that might cause someone to think you lack toleration or that you might have 'religious inclinations', or that you might have racist inclinations .....all way tooooo reminiscent of the fear that pervaded the lives of the citizens of Russia during the Stalinist Era.

Now....not that long ago...such as I am talking about would have been considered 'paranoia' by most and of course some will still claim that...but when we read about how spy agencies aka the NSA has the ability to listen in on just about anything they want to...then what I am concerned about can hardly be described as paranoia.

Also.....people have more to be worred about than just the Feds spying on us....if you are employed you definitely have to worry about what your bosses hear you talking about, if you are a prominent person or have some sort of prominent position in private industry, and most especially government, or are employed in a public or even a private school you must be very careful of what you say obviously....but I have noted even common everyday people with jobs of no prominence or much interest to anyone exhibit a tendancy to not say much regarding anything controversial unless they have had a few drinks.

So is this reluctance now to talk about anything of a controversial nature rational or just an example of how easy it is for a central government to install fear into the general populance in order to force them to follow the party line?

First of all, thank you for a great thread.
No, I do not feel completely free to speak my mind in America: I bought a bar restaurant business, and I had intentions to educate the people, but it only took a small minority to start vandalizing my place and force me to shut down. I have been banned from dozens of political forums hundreds of times over the last 15 years for speaking more than just against democrats and republicans which is an ACCEPTED form of criticism in America (you will not be persecuted for those) I do not feel free to talk about or mention Adolf Hitler and the national socialist era AT ALL, because instantly I am being labeled anti Semite, racist, etc. My two dogs were shot near my house this last December shortly after I started putting out videos on Youtube about the real problems, in one of which I used my dogs as an example of how they will do anything for a stick, like people will do anything for money, and similar videos like that. Nonetheless, I am determined to outmaneuver the evil of humanity and I will never give up for as long as I can talk, but whenever someone says there is freedom of speech in America, I do get offended.

 

[ClosedCaption]

My father always said avoid discussing Politics and Religion. Now, you tell me that he saw into the future?

Or that Repubs just dont understand simple interactions amongst human beings?

 

[Sawbriars]

Get a clue chumps>>>>>>>» Homeland Security Exercise Targets ?Free Americans Against Socialist Tyranny? Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

 

[Truthmatters]

nuts will be nuts

on that you can rely

 

[Politico]

Do you feel free to express your beliefs?

Yep. Do it all the time.

 

[Mac1958]

In a nutshell....what I am asking is......are you afraid to say what you think about anything of a controversial nature?

I think there was a time when PC was first gaining influence that I would watch my words.

Then I realized what PC is about and it angered me quite a bit. So now, I show no deference for them. And I have to admit, when I know I'm in the presence of a PC Policeman, I'll often **** with them a bit just to piss them off and let them know they've jumped the shark. I like watching those silly narcissists' faces get red when they realize they can't control me, too funny.

99.99% of the time though, I have no reason to be anything but polite.

.

 

[Zander]

In a nutshell....what I am asking is......are you afraid to say what you think about anything of a controversial nature?

I think there was a time when PC was first gaining influence that I would watch my words.

Then I realized what PC is about and it angered me quite a bit. So now, I show no deference for them. And I have to admit, when I know I'm in the presence of a PC Policeman, I'll often **** with them a bit just to piss them off and let them know they've jumped the shark. I like watching those silly narcissists' faces get red when they realize they can't control me, too funny.

99.99% of the time though, I have no reason to be anything but polite.

.

I'll admit it - I do enjoy provoking people at times.

 

[Uncensored2008]

I'm aware of the consequences of free speech in our police state.

 

[ClosedCaption]

How many adjectives did the op use for fear

 

[blackhawk]

I am not just talking about Religious Beliefs but any and everything from politics to sports to whatever.

In a nutshell....what I am asking is......are you afraid to say what you think about anything of a controversial nature? aka are you just afraid of offending someone or are you afraid that someone of a official nature may be listening....even at a restaurant, at your office or in some other public place....of course we know that they are damn well monitoring these message boards.

I have noticed a remarkable reluctance over the past few years for people to talk about anything that might be considered controversial that might cause someone to think you lack toleration or that you might have 'religious inclinations', or that you might have racist inclinations .....all way tooooo reminiscent of the fear that pervaded the lives of the citizens of Russia during the Stalinist Era.

Now....not that long ago...such as I am talking about would have been considered 'paranoia' by most and of course some will still claim that...but when we read about how spy agencies aka the NSA has the ability to listen in on just about anything they want to...then what I am concerned about can hardly be described as paranoia.

Also.....people have more to be worred about than just the Feds spying on us....if you are employed you definitely have to worry about what your bosses hear you talking about, if you are a prominent person or have some sort of prominent position in private industry, and most especially government, or are employed in a public or even a private school you must be very careful of what you say obviously....but I have noted even common everyday people with jobs of no prominence or much interest to anyone exhibit a tendancy to not say much regarding anything controversial unless they have had a few drinks.

So is this reluctance now to talk about anything of a controversial nature rational or just an example of how easy it is for a central government to install fear into the general populance in order to force them to follow the party line?

Short answer no those who try to label me I'm very capable of ignoring or telling to go **** off when need be.

 

[Nutz]

It's not about being afraid to say what's on your mind, it's about how you want to be perceived by your peers. It's about your character. If you feel it necessary to use the word ******, ****, cracker or whatever term of endearment...so be it, but don't blame everyone else if they in turn call you a racist, a bigot, or whatever term they deem necessary. It goes both ways,whether the reaction to your opinion is justified or not.

In the same respect, there is a time and a place to voice your opinions. I know, if some people had the balls to say to me what they post on this forum in person, we would probably engage in fisticuffs. If some people say what they post here at work, they would probably be fired and I don't think that is abridging anyone's freedom of speech.