Should freedom of expression be allowed to offend?

[Fox Of The North]

On one side of the table :

freedom of expression is what it is. Censorship should not be allowed.
Everyone have the right to free speech and offend.
Voltaire:"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

On the other side:

freedom of expression should be moderated and offensive speech should be censored.
Freedom of speech is open to abuse and distortions, reckless use of speech will cause harm to others.


Share your views!

[ThatsTheColorOfMyRoom]

Truth be told, I think were better off without the censorship. It's a matter of entertaining an idea without readily accepting it. With free speech, I believe people reveal a lot about their true intentions within their views of the world around them. So sure, hurtful thing might be said, and it sucks, but I'd rather know a person's honest opinion and intent than be served heavily sugar-coated bs by someone who in fact has a deep rooted contempt and may ultimately wish to bring me ill will. Not to say that I approve of ignorant, hurtful speech, but it's no easy matter to stop people from thinking a certain way, so the best thing one can do in the face of adversity is to stand your ground and not give an ignorant viewpoint more credibility than it deserves.

[God Emperor Baldur]

People get offended because they choose to get offended. This is free-speech, not free-speech that only you like.

[GunsmithKitten]

Sure it should.

But the offender shouldn't get to scream "quit violatin muh furst amendment!" when people tell them what an a*****e he is or refuse to listen or take him seriously anymore.

[GunsmithKitten]

God Emperor Baldur

People get offended because they choose to get offended. This is free-speech, not free-speech that only you like.

But guess what; the right to be offended is equally as valid as the right to offend.

[Gregmurdoc]

I think one of the big issues that is facing us today is that people are taking personal offense when people express their personal opinions.
Now then, if the opinions are having profound negative influences, for example a racist refuses to hire someone of a different ethnicity, then the opinion is causing an injustice. However, suppose a person held the belief that homosexuality was a sin, but treated homosexuals like anyone else, there wouldn't be any real injustice. Thus so long as a personal belief isn't used to mistreat others or create injustice, people should be allowed to believe whatever they wish. (Even if it seems silly)

[Exoth XIII]

GunsmithKitten

God Emperor Baldur

People get offended because they choose to get offended. This is free-speech, not free-speech that only you like.

But guess what; the right to be offended is equally as valid as the right to offend.

Yep. You have every right to be offended when I tell you to go make me a sammich, wench!

[Maltese_Falcon91]

Fox Of The North

freedom of expression should be moderated and offensive speech should be censored.
Freedom of speech is open to abuse and distortions, reckless use of speech will cause harm to others.

Yeah, that's how it works in Canada. You can mostly say what you want, but if it's a hate speech, then it becomes a crime. All it really means is that there's no KKK or Westboro Baptist Church running around.

[Sir Kyle of Elsewhere]

Fox Of The North

On one side of the table :

freedom of expression is what it is. Censorship should not be allowed.
Everyone have the right to free speech and offend.
Voltaire:"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

On the other side:

freedom of expression should be moderated and offensive speech should be censored.
Freedom of speech is open to abuse and distortions, reckless use of speech will cause harm to others.


Share your views!

No, it's fine the way it is. If I called somebody an a*****e right now and their feelings got hurt, I don't exactly care, but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't just go up to a random person and insult them either. However, these people have the same liberty as I do. They can do the same thing if they damn well please. Just because they don't doesn't make me wrong.

[AvenirLegacy]

I'd say it really boils down to practicality.

If you seek to have a pleasing discourse and exchange of ideas between two conflicting viewpoints, offending the other person holding said viewpoint won't make for a good exchange of verb and voice. If the person you are having a discussion with is constantly offended, he or she won't have the inclination to fully express their point of view; subsequently you won't have the chance to fully present your points since the conversation cannot extract the needed voice it requires to engage in a complete dialogue.

In end, if you want to have a good conversation, your should be careful with what you say, and attempt to drive the conversation out to it fullest. Only then can people begin to truly share ideas and concepts and bring them to the much enjoyed arena of debate.

[FrontierBrainPalmer]

Ideally, it would be nice to not have censorship. But since we can't have nice things due to people abusing privileges like that and using freedom of expression to be spiteful jerks to everyone, sadly we should have to moderate it. sad

[The Herald of War]

Sure they can say it. And they can whine that people are so mean and oppressing their freedom of speech when they get criticized even though they're wrong about that.

People can say whatever dumb things they like, and there's no real threat of it being stopped nowadays, at least in America. What actually seems to be on the rise are idiots who think being criticized or getting negative reactions is so oppressive of their speech. Like homophobic morons who think they have it so bad because people care for their negative views of others. Just wait until they teach their brats that everyone has to be their friend no matter what they say or it's oppression.

[Lucky~9~Lives]

Fox Of The North

On one side of the table :

freedom of expression is what it is. Censorship should not be allowed.
Everyone have the right to free speech and offend.
Voltaire:"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

On the other side:

freedom of expression should be moderated and offensive speech should be censored.
Freedom of speech is open to abuse and distortions, reckless use of speech will cause harm to others.


Share your views!

I'll defend to the death your right to say it, but I don't agree you have a right to say it in an offensive manner.

[Walter C Britannia]

I believe in the freedom, and that means that anyone can say what they wish to say, even it is offensive to others. The stifling of speech, based on someone else's personal morality, is absurd to me.

Words are powerful, they've inspired countless humans to fight, die, and do causes of both good and evil intent, which in my eyes, are noble things.

[CuAnnan]

You have the right to say what you like.
I have the right to ignore you.
If you attempt to circumvent my right to ignore you, by coming into my house or by sending me s**t in the mail, then I have the right to sue you.
You have the right to say what you like in public. You do not have the right to follow me around to do say it to me.
Balance of rights is sometimes difficult.
This is not really one of those cases.