How many think that perhaps that freedom of speech has gone a bit to far?

Question

There are many time when I feel freedom of speech is taken to far. There are many of them a couple is the burning of our nations flag ... that Westboro Baptist Church is another. Those totally stupid people would picket our fallen soldiers funerals! These were the very people that fought to keep the rights for hate lovers like the Westboro Baptist Church to say the very things they did.

I know that there is an amendment that prohibits this picketing soldiers funerals that was passed recently. That is good because I really hate to think that there are people out there that are so cruel and heartless as to picket a funeral where the fallen soldier's family is greiving over their loved one.. Same on you Westboro Baptist Church, may you burn in the same hell you wish upon everyone else.

Answer 1

First, I know how you feel. Westboro Baptist Church fills me with outrage when I see what they do and the hate that they spew both in protests and on their website.

That being said, no, I don't think freedom of speech has not gone too far. To place any limits on the freedom of speech is to begin to go down a slippery slope. The problem is who gets to decide what is and isn't okay. Sure, we might all agree that Westboro should not be allowed to say what they say, but after that, who would be the next person or group? The conservatives would try to stifle the liberals and vice versa, the pro-lifers and right-to-choosers would go at it, and those are just two of hundreds.

Whoever wielded the power to limit the freedom of speech would hold more power than the president, congress, and the supreme court, because ultimately the only voices that would be heard would be those that were approved. With limits, we might have never heard from the KKK, but we also might never have heard from Martin Luther King.

Answer 2

Freedom of speech...is the fundamental right that this nation is built apon. It includs the free press. As soon as we allow a government to pick and choose for us what we can and cannot say....its no longer a free country.

I agree with your points...specifically Baptist Church picketing funerals..its morally reprehensable to say the least. The problem is, banning it sets precident for the governement to controll other forms of free speech.

Ban funeral picketing....next ban picketing at governement buildings. The rights to peaceful protest are an important fundamental Constitutional Right. I don't nessesarilly disagree with amendment banning it. However, I do not trust my government....at all.

Without free speech.........This is not the country our for-fathers envisioned 230 years ago, and its not the country out politicians use as thier campaign slogan to justify nearly 3,000 American servicemans lives. Free speech...means free speech....

You may not like what the person has to say, however you have the right to ignore it and move on

Answer 3

relies upon on what exaclty you're searching at. I at tiems imagine fredoms of speech would nicely be extreme. i.e. Burning the flag might want to not be secure speach. people died for that flag. yet an same courts forbit burning crosses? (I beleive burning crosses is incorrect, yet I believe burning the flag is worse.) OTOH, with individuals of congress speaking about the "fairness act" we the following will be limiting free communicate way too a procedures. besides, what's "honest" about limiting radio purely. You wnat authentic fairness then you definitely would might want to observe it to all media. also egregeiously incorrect in my concepts. certain going after radio purely makes it blatantly political which makes it a procedures worse that a blanket mind-set. there are a mode of alternative examples in both instructions. basically the following is my idea Freedom of speach is truly indispensable to our equipment and could be secure. the position your speach starts to damage others (accountable, slander etc) try to be constrained. Labeling some media for individual contenct violence and stuff is nice. limiting it previous lifelike age limits isn't. we favor to tolerate some speach we hit upon distasteful as if we do not freedoms will be constrained a lot farther than any people would probably discover proper. very few of my concepts.

Answer 4

We never know what freedom of speech is anymore. Burning the flag is freedom of speech no doubt, but ~ooooh~ no one want's to be unpatriotic. That's like an immortal sin. And why were soldiers fighting. Who gave them the right to shoot people? I think no one should have the right to kill another person under ~legal~ conditions.

Answer 5

the idea of freedom of speech is the you have a right to say anything no matter who doesn't like it. that fact that these people picketed the funeral just means it's working. yes it is absolutely awful, but freedom of speech guarantees freedom, unfortunately it doesn't guarantee that people will have decency.

Answer 6

Unfortunately, some people will say things that most of us don't want to hear or that we will find offensive. Some people will be disrespectful. But what limits can be put on free speech? Who gets to decide those limits?

Free speech is necessary to freedom. It ain't always pretty, but we need it.

Answer 7

Be glad they are letting people know who they are and what they stand for- that way we know who they are and we can point the bastards out. I think it's so very sad that our soldiers die so they can have their freedom of speech.

Answer 8

Disturbing the peace is one thing, but there is no such thing as taking your freedom of speech too far. Never sacrafice your ability to voice your opinion.

Answer 9

Who gets to pick who talks and who doesnt. Unless its me I dont trust your line of thinking.