Why do Americans always get offended by everything you say?

Question

In the land of alleged free speech, it seems more and more like it isn't.

Let's see...you can't call people retarded, you can't laugh at people with Tourette's, you can't tell the truth about various ethnic groups, you can't joke around about certain stuff, even say the words because it's against the law, celebrities and politicians get into trouble for making a statement and it becomes a national outrage, especially that one on the Colbert show who joked about cocaine and hookers...even though it was petty, you can't say anything about disabled people...

It's insane, North Korea must envy our unofficial totalitarian approach to speech...stop taking everything seriously!

I wonder how many Americans would willingly eliminate the 1st amendment, our right to free speech?

This country is guilty of false advertisement. People overseas, especially in Australia, seem to exercise and appreciate their right to free speech better than Americans...

It's disappointing.

Answer 1

This is because of the precipitous decline of the standards in public education. A good education encourages critical thinking and the ability to see issues from multiple sides whether they coincide with your own values or not.
The other issue is political correctness. It is one thing to be sensitive to the sensibilities of others, it is another to take offense on another's behalf.
Note that many times there are groups that have an agenda who attack rather than discuss a point because shouting someone down does not require critical thinking and the formation of solid arguments. This brings to mind those who publically questioned the rationale for war in Iraq who were publically and vocally vilified and systematically shouted down. That was a thinly veiled effort to avoid addressing some hard questions about motivation and the integrity of politicians. Note that there is a huge difference between impassioned speach about your viewpoint and impassioned denigration of an opposing view.

It is up to ordinary people to make a change and choose to lead rather than be led and push hard to up the standard of education significantly. Realize that there will be a certain number that cannot keep up and provide programs for those while fighting stigma and labels. This can only work however, if the standard of success becomes measured by the content of one's character rather than any other measure.

It is also important that Americans realize that without education and due vigilance, freedoms that were earned by the blood, sweat and tears of our ancestors can be lost. Some may already being lost.

Answer 2

First of all, you're a complete idiot. Fortunately, I have insomia and I can tell you why.

A little background. Freedom of speech is protected from the government in the bill of rights. Remember, the bill of rights are a list of restrictions against the government, not rights granted to the people. We're given the rights by our Creator, not a government. And, the government exists with the consent of the governed. Get it?

The phrase "freedom of speech" is a misnomer. You can't say anything you want to. If you shout "fire" in a crowded theater, you can be prosecuted. There is significant case law to support this statement. You do not have complete freedom of speech, you have a limited freedom of speech solong as the intent is not to cause harm to person or property. If you incite a riot, you can also be prosecuted.

Fortunately, for you, there is no stipulation that you use good judgement when exercising your right to free speech. Make fun of the retarded, gays, hookers, coke, whatever. Just remember two things. First you don't have a right to be heard. Second, freedom of speech isn't going to keep that large muscular woman with turettes syndrome from beating you to a pulp while a small crowd gathers around you and laughs. And, quite honestly, who is going to stop her at this point?

In all seriousness, your utter ignorance about the meaning and definition of the First Amendment to the US Constitution is pretty disappointing.

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and let no doubt remain" - Abe Lincoln

Answer 3

Your examples are ridiculous. Why should anyone make fun of the retarded, the disabled or those with an illness like Tourette's? What do you mean "tell the truth about various ethnic groups"? Are you angry because we no longer tolerate cruelty or bigotry in this country? One thing we still can laugh at is stupidity and you are a prime example of it.

Answer 4

Then move to Australia. If you live in America don't put it down if your not happy here move!!! That's always an option. You don't call people retarded out of respect for the handicapped . I'm proud to be American. And why would someone want to say something about someone who is disabled? Whats disappointing is to here Americans putting their country down when we are at war. Don't be hating!!!

Answer 5

Whoa there big guy.
We still have alot of free speech in the USA. It is easy to see when you see news clips of mideastern women who get to wear common clothes in private with the curtains drawn. They get to read nad write at that time.
Other times they can't show they even know how to read. I do not recall the country, but it sent a shiver up my spine. Just think if someone had permission from your family that IF at ANY time, you transgressed such boundaries, you could be punishedwith torture & death? JUST READING THESE WORDS!
Just typing your reply could mean your life there.
Here, you are free to type even what you just typed.
A wonderfully free land!

Answer 6

I think many so called Americans would love to see the entire constitution go up in smoke, but for the most part we just don't care who says or does what, as long as it does'nt hurt anybody. It's the politicians that make it look like people care a lot more than they do.

Answer 7

I have read over the other answers and it seems that some of them don't get your point, I do. The guy with "insomia" (sic) is correct with his constitutional facts but way off in relating to your answer. We should be free to say anything (except or course FIRE in a crowded theater) but you’re just talking hypothetically. There are a couple of reasons why we are governed as animals in pins. We are kind of stupid. Not in a technical or science sense but with common sense and in an offensive way.

People are offended because it has been drilled into their heads that they should be. This is due to social agendas, by groups and one-world activists. I’ll get to that in a few paragraphs. Blame the Government. The government has failed us because we have allowed it to. It's sad to say but the unpopular truth is our entire government is riddled with people who have agendas to complete. Gays, Feminists and weak or corrupted (greedy) politicians (IE: all the Kennedy’s).

LAWSUITS are the way people stop what they want to here, not respect for the other persons point of view no matter how off it is. The government has supported this even though it goes against our primary laws. Also the perverted and corrupted government has made some laws that are not constitutional by slowly building up different laws that lead to bigger laws that are just plain wrong (IE: Hate Crimes laws) The producers of “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” were FINED (not sued because Gays are entrenched within the media) $10,000 for just using the word GAY incorrectly in ONE scene, and it and it never even made it into the movie!

The Gay’s will not be happy until we have courses on anal lubrication in grade school. Blame this on the government, the law supporting these mentally malformed people is a direct violation of Freedom of Expression (1st Amendment) and of Speech. If the thought of having a man’s c**k up your a*s sounds wrong you cannot even say it, and its common sense.

Let’s talk about the crafty word created by our government…TOLORENCE.

I mentioned before, One World. This idea goes back about 1000 years and has had a lot of support by various Groups, churches, governments and powerful individuals who wish to convert all of us to mindless drones giving our money away to every establishment known until we don’t even comprehend the concept of money or freedom…World Wide. But, how do they get us to that point? By stripping individual thought and expression little by little everywhere on the planet and the first to go down are the biggest governments and largest populations (some of the smaller ones are being bought out).

Europe has survived as long as it has because being it’s broken into smaller countries, each of them independent and proud. The change to the Euro helped the agenda a lot.

Most all governments work secretly together on this agenda but some resist because the stand to loose their chunk of power by bigger powers. That has slowed the bad guys down. Think for a second why our government has never really tried to stop illegal’s from entering our country and only put on a show with the use of border guards and false numbers. Ask any boarder Patrol agent and they will tell you that they need many more personnel but their requests are either delayed a long time or ignored completely without explanation.

The Great Wall of China, It’s over 2000 miles long and was built centuries ago to keep out invading hoards, but we cannot build a real boarder fence? And the threat coming from our boarder is 1000 times more dangerous then anything China was up against ( I’m not talking about Mexicans, but Drug cartels, assassins, coyotes bringing dirty bomb parts and biological weapons in, this does happen at least once to twenty times a month). We are a ticking time bomb and have been for some years, but large terrorist actions here are only used to fuel the take over other countries for more control (IE: Iraq).

Why are 3rd world nations getting higher education standards and scores then Americans?

Why do the president and the government wish to basically pardon 12 to 17 million illegal aliens instead of deporting them (look for the ones who are against it, those folks are not corrupt yet)?

Diversity weakens the synergistic conciseness of a country and creates confusion within sub-cultures that help the invasion of privacy and individual rights. In our past, we needed diversity to build this country (built by mostly governments and banking and religious institutions for branching out their power). Now the thought is to use it to lead us away from our original laws. I believe that everyone, all races should be free and have a chance to prosper, but everything we see here is just a mask for the agenda.

To finally close, just take a look at the “new” Bill of rights and really read it. It’s full of amendments that further this agenda. I would love a world were there is no anger, hate, and included tolerance (to a degree, think about the North American Man Love Boy Association, NAMLBA and fear it). But that is not what we are creating, WE have no say so about what’s coming, greed and control are Responsible.

So, that's why we cannot say anything, in jest or not. I know that you are not mean but are using these statements as examples. And you're right.

Answer 8

To answer your direct question, people get offended because they've been brought up to believe that the government exists to make their life as painless and perfect as possible, and when someone says something they don't like, the answer is to run and cry to Big Brother to fix it.

To respond to your statement, people have the right to get their panties in a bunch when you say something they don't like, just as you have the right to be upset and offended by the fact that they get upset and offended. See?

Answer 9

People have just forgotten what a nice thing it is to have free speech and take it all really personal. They're just looking to get a good fight. Although some thing's really are just to mean to be said.

Answer 10

Why on earth would you want to make fun of a retarded person, or someone with Tourette's? Ever hear of "karma?" What goes around ALWAYS comes back around.