Category: the Rant Board
Since on another thread, we've been talking about opinions and how to deal with them, I thought I'd ask this. What do you think freedom of speech really is? Some people would say that freedom is there but not absolute and there are limits and responsibilities. There are others who think they have the right to say anything they want to anyone and the person should either stay silent or just shrug and say it's their right to say it. If the pperson reacts negatively, they're either too sensitive or just somehow lacking in something. What do you think and why. Discuss.
and then there are those people on here who give their opinion and if someones happens not to like it, person ay private messages person b and says that they have a right to their opinion. so what does that mean? person b doesn't have the right to their own opinion? i don't think so. everybody has the right to their opinion, in my opinion. lol!
smiles,
Jess
hmmm, wel like akasha said everyone has an opinion about everything. That is there right as people. The trick is to not persiqute someone for there opinion. I can have an opinion and so can someone else if you don't like some ones opinion deal with it lol. Oh one more thing be tactful and, if ya don't know what that is quick note me lol
Hi Labyrinth,
Well unfortunately, some people use freedom of speech in a negative way. I think if you use freedom of speech to put someone down, or tell them to more or less shut up and deal, when you're not even in the discussion, or when you don't have to be in the discussion, that goes beyond the boundaries of freedom of speech, and it then becomes abuse of freedom of speech. There was a time, say a year or so ago, when I would not have survived being on this site, and a wise woman, who was understanding, and who didn't judge my feelings said, don't be such a tender foot, you have a right to be there as much as anyone. I will probably never be the most thick skinned person in the world, but I find, if someone is trying to start something with me, or is basically telling me to shut up and deal, I find it's better for me if instead of just leaving and not doing or saying anything, I just speak my peace, and tell it the way it is.
wonderwoman
In most cases, I try and make my point clear so I don't ahve to repeat myself. I'm not interested in running a topic into the ground, unless it's about hatred of chain letters or the funny things some of the sighted do or say. Hahahahahaha! We all have our hot buttons.
Freedom of speech to me means: That I can say and or express myself in any way I can without hurting or violating anyone, or anyone else's opinions. That I also have the right to express a opinion, we all do. But I try to make it as clear without repeating, and or offending at the same time.
Any time we express an opinion, no matter how nicely, we risk offending somebody. Don't let that stop you, though. I'm lucky in that I don't get easily offended, although my offbeat point of view might offend others. I don't worry about it much, though. Do you think people worry too much about offending others?
I think freedom of speech is having your own opinions, beliefs, etc., but that people should be respectful of others, and of others' opinions and beliefs. I think that the freedom shouldn't be abused and misused, such as when you hurt others by stating your mind, or putting down their opinions or morals. But that's jsut me lol.
Caitlin
Opinions are like assholes,everyone has one.
Freedom of speech is often described as a right, and undoubtedly this is the case at least from the legal point of view. Morally, though, is this the best way of viewing it? I say it isn't. Let me explain: rights are, by their very nature, self-centred. when one puts forward one's rights, one is usually asserting one's own interest against another person or other persons. Rights, in other words, take no account of the wider sense of relationships that we all have with one another and which are essential for our functioning as a community. I prefer, however, to look at freedom of speech from the point of view of duties. We are all agreed, it seems, that we should all be allowed to hold our own opinions, and we are all agreed that we should not be unreasonably offensive or inflamatory. So let's now say taht person A makes a statement to persons B, C and D. Persons B, C and D are under a duty not to impede Person A's ability to express his opinion. However, person A is under a corresponding duty not to abuse the privilege granted to him by society viz. the ability to be free to express his views which persons B, C and d - society's representatives - have accorded him. If Person A breaches this duty he is subject to moral censure and perhaps legal sanctions. Likewise if Persons B, C and D restrain his opinions unjustly, they too are subject to sanction or censure. In my opinion, this helps to explain several things about the freedom of speech problem: we generally all believe that images of child pornography, or advocates of the final solution of the problem of the Jews, are unacceptable, and these are the paradigms of ideas of which society disapproves. so, if Person A in our example were to state in his opinion that child pornography is a useful artistic tool, or that Hitler was working along the right lines during the holocaust, he is in flagrant breach of his duty to others and persons B, C and D are justified in restraining or suppressing these opinions completely. By contrast, if person A is making a speech disapproving of the war in Iraq because he believes it was wrong to send troops there, and persons B, C and D or any of them, suppress these opinions, they are in violation of their own duty and we have a duty to get behind person A and censure the suppressers. these are, of course, paradigm cases, and there are many many more borderline cases. this exercise is useful, however, in demonstrating that to look at expressing opinions from the point of view of reciprocal duties wil prevent the expression of unfounded and malicious statements, as well as reinforcing the mutual respect upon which true freedom of speech depends. It is wrong to suppose that opinions should be expressed unchecked, and we must never forget that it is this logic that led to the proliferation of stories of the pure quality of the Aryan race and other such nonsense.
Here is my view on freedom of speech. Many of you probably wont agree with me, because I am taking up a stand strictly in the defense of teenagers.
For all my life, there has always been someone there, telling me to shut up, telling me my feelings and opinions were not allowable. And this wasn't other kids. This was teachers. They told me that every opinion I had was morally wrong, inappropriate, and looked down o me because I'm a nonconformist.
My opinions were not of a sexual nature, or at least none of the ones I expressed to adults.
Now, to feelings. You know what happened when a vision teacher i had insisted on searching my Braille Lite for anything inappropriate? He read my fucking diary. He then found out that im depressed through that.
Because of this, several teachers tried to have me locked up (in an institution.)
What does this tell you? That feelings are a thing that are just not allowable in society. That opinions that are out of the social construct warrant insanity.
Why is this? Why are feelings and opinions that aren't the popular view frowned upon? Because of my experiences with this topic, i dont trust adults at all. They will just try to lock me up once they see the real me.
Now, back to my point...Everyone should be allowed to express themselves, without fear of rejection, embarrassment, or guilt. Everyone has a right to feel his or her feelings. That is just the way it is. End of story.
Looks like you've discovered the age-old battle between society and the individual. There's so much pressure, not only for teens, but for everybody, to just be a herd animal.
niblet17, distressing though your experiences undoubtedly are - and I don't intend to detract from them in any way whatsoever - it is not simply the case that one can say what one likes, when one likes and to whom one likes. As I explain above, we have a duty to exercise caution with our right to freedom of speech and exercise it giving due weight to the sinsibilities of society and others around us. If we took your logic to its ultimate conclusions we could have people inciting others to commit acts of terrorism with impunity, to give but one example. it is quite wrong to suppose that our right to freedom of speech is unfettered, and as I say above, we would do well to look at it from the point of view of duties and then we might realise that we all have reciprocal responsibilities to one another.
But thats not what im saying. I do believe that reasonable limits should be set on freedom of speech, such as not allowing terrorism, but at the same time, people shouldn't be afraid to express themselves to avoid being hospitalized against their will.
Hmm, I think I site mor or less with LawLord on this one. You can say whatever you want but you also then have to be willing to take the conseuqndces. I mean e.g. words like "I love you" or any type of lying or "my name is Jason and my ssn is xxxx" when you're not that person, you're allow to say all this under the freedom of speech conept, yet, if you're using those phrases improperly you can enduce a lot of hurting and get yourself jailed. I mean words are powerful and we need to use them carefully. I judge people (as much as I judge people, I try not to) by what they say and how they say it. I, personally, think people who make a point of using the same words over and over again, especially the f word have low standards, are uneducated and are just not very cool. I"m not saying that I'm right about this and may be I'm prejudice but I can't help it. I think intelligent conversation is a lot of fun. My entire impression of people, especially first impression has to be largely based on what they say so when I meet people I try to be myself and the words that I use are an integral part of that.
Here in the U.S. the laws regarding freedom of speech are so hypocritical. WE get the "land of the free" and "here is the home of democracy wherre people can express themselves" speech, and then the phrase "I'm contemplating suicide" is beeped out of songs on mtv (in the video for Last Resort this sentence is left out). Another example in the "Teenage Dirt bag" song the line "he brings a gun to school" is also beeped out of the radio edit version. And at the same time you can hardly watch a single movie without the f word being used over 200 times. Sometimes it can actually be funny, I'm not stu that up-tight, I think when you're really angry or ecstatic or whatever it's fine to use the f word, but to make it almost the only word in your vocabulary just seems so stupid to me.
So, just some thoughts, I'm really not trying to make any particular point here, just noting observations.
cheers
-B
when I first came to the zone, (which was not a long time ago) by reading the disclaimer I just knew that freedom of speech was to make your own comments without being put down. But now, from this conclusions and points of view... something has changed. Well lawlord is quite right about this, but we don't have to take so exagerated ways otherwise this won't be a freedom of speech website anymore. So, my bottom line is this
Use words carefully but do not go to a point where it starts to drive you crazy. Also, if you don't like others opinions or feelings about something then ignore it, instead of making yourself ridiculous. Some people abuses this freedom as to the ""smart conversation" or also known as ""good life" point. Therefore its not just saying what you want or just puting the f word a bunch of times. This is not the only word that is going to save you nor make you look adult. It makes you look sometimes immature or uneducated. Surprisingly, a lot of adults use this word as to show they are or the best ones, or the high class ones. Even if I say that word in front of a lot people or unknown ""good life point"" people I would feel kind of a bad person... education is sometimes important. i think those who put others down are just showing what they are made of.
There is my opinion.
Lou, nothing's changed. That's human nature. If somebody has a strong opinion, there's going to most likely be somebody with a strong opposite opinion or just somebody who wants to get a reaction out of you so they cause drama. I'm afraid there's no escape I know of from this.
It would be a very boring discussion forum if people refrained from putting each other down and trying to correct opinions which in their view seem to stray into error. When I talk about duties towards one another in exercising freedom of speech I don't mean that we should avoid saying anything controversial in case people disagree with it. What I do mean is that unlimited freedom of speech would be disastrous and I'm not rehearsing the now familiar arguments on which I found this premmice for a third time. Lou, I think that if you're looking for a discussion forum that won't ever attempt to challenge your views and constructively criticise the contentions you advance, you'll be looking a very, very long time indeed.
Absolutely in agreement with the above post Mr LL. Frey.
PS Please note I am not putting anyone down nor even disagreeing with them ...still being a good girl yes?