Related Information to Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Speech - Page 4

I read the rant about an Islamic double standard and believe it is a bit rich. He certainly has no idea about Islam if he believes it is a religion of violence, but that is for another discussion.

While the reactions of some Muslims to these cartoons is a disgrace, and embarrassing to most Muslims, I don't believe there is a double standard at play.

The cartoons were cheap and provocative. They weren't designed to satire reality, promote a thought or make some clever statement. The were designed to offend.

I remember fires were set to cinemas who showed films that challenged hinduism in India. This killed many people and the same thing happened for a film about lesbians.

The British journalist Robert Fisk notes that this also happened to a cinema in France when a movie which depicted christ making love to a women over a decade ago. One man was killed.

Even Mel Gibson's passion of the Christ caused a massive stir in Israel for its depiction of the jews in that era. I believe it got banned in some cinemas.

Absolutely anything that is perceived to be against Jews is labelled anti-semitic. Israel always complains about cartoons in Egyptian newspapers, and rightfully so.

There are many cases like these across the world. While the recent reaction was certainly over the top, my point is that it's not just confined to the Muslim faith.

Free speech is controlled in every free country around the world, so we cannot use that excuse to justify the publication of these cartoons.

Holocaust denial is felony in a few European countries because it is offensive to Jews. This is a hinderance of free speech. In the media, there are a lot of boundaries that control free speech. I have to be aware of them all the time when I write stories.

Personally I would not have run those cartoons simply because they are in poor taste. The free media has standards of decency and these cartoons are a clear breach of that. I would also suggest some of the cartoons I have seen in Egyptian newspapers are just as distasteful.

Speech Freedom

I wasn't commenting on the original article. I happen to agree with most of it, but the point is that the author of the article is now censored, because he offended Muslims. How many times are campus journalists, commentators, etc, censored for offending Christians or conservatives?

The reason I put the two articles up was because of the second article. Whether or not you agree with the writer, is it right that a new "Muslim" council has to approve whatever he writes before it can be printed? Why can't they just give opposing opinions and information? However, that isn't within the liberal mindset on college campuses in the US. Silencing dissent is the norm, not addressing the issues and opinions that are offered.

In this case, we can see where one type of speech is silenced, purely to appease a segment of the population. Are they afraid to speak up for themselves in rational debate?

Freedom of Speech History & Civil Business Politics

Its interesting that this conversation seems to be about religious free speech when indeed it is all speech that is being impeded. When speaking about your faith is school is banned, and speaking about the separation of church and state and against the government are considered unpatriotic, then where do we have left? That covers anyone not speaking within the realm of someone elses accepted limits on all levels. If the christians and agnostics feel their freedom of speech is being taken away, then what does that tell us? How can United States citizens have this discussion yet do nothing but argue with the other groups that it isn't their freedom of speech being taken, its yours. Well I have news for you, both groups are right, you should be on the same side, not arguing against each other.

Page 4 Speech Freedom

Well I don't agree with the author being censored, that certainly wouldn't happen here unless the article is deemed defamatory.

In Australia, I think there are measures to curtail speech that incites violence, but I don't think this student's article would fall under that category.

You've got a point there Nighthawk. I'm quite surprised to hear that silencing dissent is the norm for US colleges? I think the opposite is is the norm over here, it certainly was during my days at university.

I also agree with Konqeurez that this is a broader discussion than religious sensitivities.

Speech Freedom

Silencing dissent is absolutely normal in US colleges and universities. Any "liberal" speech is protected. But any conservative speech, of any kind, is normally censored.

So, we have the scene of Warren Churchill, a proven liar and plagiarist, being promoted at a host of colleges, but the Secretary of State being denied a long-planned commencement speech. Conservative black pundits are called intolerant and "Oreos" while black murders are given honors. If a man says that he believes Islam is evil, he is either relieved of his duties or severely censured, while another man gets congratulated on claiming that Bush is worse than Hitler.

The "Vagina Monologues" and "V-day" are celebrated, but "The Passion of the Christ" is forbidden. Books touting the advantages of homosexuality are used as textbooks, while a librarian who recommended a book critical of the Kinsey research that promoted homosexuality is censured, and his job is threatened.

That is some of what is happening on college campuses in the US. Censorship and suppression of dissent is rampant - but only of conservative, Christian, or libertarian thought.

Freedom of Speech

Nighthawk that is ridiculous. Free speech should not be confined to left or right ideology. I find it very sad this is happeneing in the US mate.

Freedom Speech - Page 4

The recent shooting at the Holocaust Museum covered here: Source 1 raises the question about how far is too far with "free speech". Since the laws are different in various countries let's start with the US. Can someone really say what they want without consequence? What would be crossing the line?

Freedom Speech Politics Business Civil & History - Page 4

My questions are:
1. Whose talk (speech) caused this man to hate so much? Rush Limbaugh? Michael Savage? Nazi sympathizers?

2. Did this guy subscribe to conservative principles? How about "right wing" principles? What exactly were his principles?

3. Who teaches the principles and concepts that this guy embraced?

So, what speech do we censor?

Right now, the left-wing media (most of the broadcast media, and most of the newspapers) are trying to blame Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, and all the other "right-wing" talk shows. Why? None of these people have endorsed or encouraged any sort of hatred of Jews. On the contrary, most of them are strong supporters of Israel. Savage is Jewish.

I am listening to Tammy Bruce right now. She just pointed out that there is one public figure in the world who most closely embraces the same ideas that this man did. The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And Barak Hussein Obama is meeting this man as a rational head of state.

The whole idea of freedom of speech is that we protect the unpopular speech, especially the unpopular political and religious speech. If we begin to censor speech of any sort, even neo-Nazi, Holocaust-denying, hateful speech, then what will be the next speech that is censored?