Free Speech

Your Right of Speech Ends at My Ears

/ Jim / 5 Comments

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I written quite a bit over the years about freedom of Speech. It’s not, as many believe, the idea that you may say whatever you want, whenever you want, without consequences. It’s really about delivering an idea or ideas. In this country, as long as the speech doesn’t threaten someone, attempt to cause others physical harm, then it’s allowed under U.S. law. There is no such thing as a hate speech. The speech you may hear you may believe offends your sensibilities and is therefore “hate”, but unless that speech directly incites people to commit violent acts against others? It’s perfectly legal. It may be noxious, but no one goes to prison here for being a bigot.
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De-Platforming is Bad on it’s Face

/ Jim / 1 Comment

 

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As most regular visitors here are aware, I am against de-platforming people on social media for any reason, with the exception of threatening violence against a person or a group. No matter how despicable or vile I might find someone’s opinion, They have a right, in my view to express it. As I’ve written on more than one occasion, we may surely agree on some people that need to be kicked off social media, but then what? Well, of course, these less controversial will be in the sights on certain people, who will complain to these platforms about what is being posted, and it becomes a regression where voices, just because we happen to disagree with their point of view on any subject, are forever silenced.

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It’s Just a Joke (Or is it?)

/ Jim / Leave a comment

 

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People will get bent out of shape over the slightest appearance of offense. There’s nothing new in human nature about it, it’s just that with the advent of the Internet, and more recently, social media, it has become easier to find crowds of the offended and often a simple statement may go viral and the person that made the statement, or produced the video, will somehow become the focus of a derangement unheard of until the last dozen or so years. Sometimes, these innocuous utterances will even make national level news. Again, 20 years ago, no one would have ever heard, but because every journalist (or wanna be) is on social media, these are easily picked up and spread widely, over a short period of time.

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What’s Up With Academia?

/ Jim / 2 Comments

 

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We’re beginning to see more and more, that Higher Education is becoming no more than an echo chamber for those whose agenda is Social Justice, or whatever is perceived to be Social Justice, to them of course, without consideration the person(s) or the circumstances of those that are condemned for their views or their associations.  Of course, this started at the student level where protests and disruptions – even violent disruptions – would occur on campus because a few decided that an invited speakers’ views were so abhorrent to a small mob, that those views may not be heard, by anyone. These are the institutions which in the past have always welcomed reasoned discussion, even debate, because it was believed that even those views that may be disagreeable to some, would allow students to better understand the wider world. Not any longer.

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In Support of the Open forum

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I like an open discussion or debate.I’m not adverse to listening to positions that I may not agree with or even may find reprehensible. That’s the purpose of an open forum, to allow everyone a platform to discuss their ideas, and others to challenge them. I know there will be some that find it strange a conservative would hold may hold this view, but I think there are more of us that believe this than may be thought. Of course there are those that are very close minded, but I think that’s true no matter the political orientation. For every conservative anyone may name, I know I can counter with a liberal or progressive.

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