CDR: Why Free Speech Matters

Jim Choate ravage at ssz.com
Wed Sep 27 17:20:25 PDT 2000


On Mon, 25 Sep 2000, Tim May wrote:

> Obviously, "free speech" means no laws abridging the expression of 
> opinions, however unpopular or heinous. Free speech does NOT mean 
> "free actions," importantly. In a society with free speech, it is 
> perfectly permissable--in the sense of being legal--to advocate 
> liquidation of the Jews, to propose enslavement of blacks, whatever. 
> It is NOT generally permissable to _implement_ these ideas, 
> naturally. And therein lies the difference.

There is a deeper point that needs to be made you're glossing right over.

It has to do with that term 'free' or 'freedom' you keep throwing around.
Your application does not do justice to the meaning of the term.

The reality is that 'freedom' means (even in crypto-anarchy circles) the
right (note that word Timmy) to engage in whatever behaviour one chooses
so long as it is consensual and doesn't abridge anothers right to
expression.

Trying to 'shun' somebody for their non-invasive behaviour (e.g. two dykes 
kissing in a ball park) is the peak of anti-freedom. If a person really
respects freedom it is more than 'freedom for me but not for thee'.

The kissing of the girls was nobodies business, in or out of the park in a
FREE society.

Tim, you're a bigot and a hypocrite.

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