| Runa216 said: You know what's funny about this? Nobody really bats an eye when some old, balding or white-haird pastor from generations past starts ranting about the sins and evil of homosexuality. We all collectively hate it and pity the fool, but it's nothing new or special. These were the same morons who claimed that giving women the right to vote was an affront to the bible, or letting blacks in our schools was going to bring about the end-times. I should make a church of militant atheism, wherein I'll start saying equally ignorant things like "Death to the religious" and "God hates pastors". I bet that'd get a hell of a reaction, too. But of course, these ignorant, hateful, barbaric religious leaders are free to speak and preach whatever stupidity they want because of that pesky freedom of speech amendment bullshit. I love freedom of speech, but when your freedom to speak is only used to be hateful and bigoted, you should have that freedom revoked. |
Who decides what is hateful and bigoted?
That is why the 1st amendment exists.
If you arbitrarily place what is hateful and bigoted, in a way that would allow someone to have their freedom of speech revoked, then you've given those powers of compulsion to an entity to act against others.
When that happens, there is a very short distance to go from banning speech among any dissident viewpoint. What if the speech is hateful against the Republicans? Or Democrats? Or Socialists? What if it is bigoted against Nintendo fans?
Just because he makes horrible statements about a group of people doesn't mean he should be tossed in jail and permanently silenced. That is how opressive regimes come and stay in power. Dictatorships hate dissent. If we remove speech from people, even if its vile, we'll begin to peel away at other rights of speech. No debates for fear of reprisal. No discussion for fear of jailtime.
Remember, at one time, it was radical and likely hateful to demand equality for women, blacks, or gays. Now we're arguing for the pendulum to swing the exact opposite way and jail people that would question some things. That doesn't make their viewpoint right. But it should allow everyone to hear such viewpoints, and debate if they are right or wrong.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
