Do Americans have a right to not be offended?

Question

In today's society, it appears to be a crime to offend someone. Is it because the offended individual is selfish and wants the world to revolve around them? Is it that politically correct has gone overboard? Do Americans have a right to not be offended? Why?

(I don't want open-ended responses. "Yes" or "No" is not a sufficient)

Answer 1

No, Americans do not have the right to not be offended. This would infringe on everyone else's right to free speech. I think people have the responsibility to not be offended when someone says something they don't agree with.
In this country, Mel Gibson had the right to get drunk and curse Jews from dawn to dusk, if he wants to. Does that make him right? Of course not, but he has the right to say whatever he wants. The American public has become so sensitized and politically correct that people are losing their right to expression.

Answer 2

I believe it depends on your definition of "right" and "offended." Primary is the question of "offense."

From dictionary.com:
Offense n.
1.
1. The act of causing anger, resentment, displeasure, or affront.
2. The state of being offended.
2.
1. A violation or infraction of a moral or social code; a transgression or sin.
2. A transgression of law; a crime.
3. Something that outrages moral sensibilities: Genocide is an offense to all civilized humans.
4. (fns) The act of attacking or assaulting.
5. (fns) Sports.
1. The means or tactics used in attempting to score.
2. A team in possession of the ball or puck, or those players whose primary duty is to attempt to score.
3. Scoring ability or potential.

If definitions 1 and 5 are excluded. Then the other three definitions, by definition, indicate a violation of one's rights. Therefore, by definition, one has the "right" to not be offended.
Definition 5 will be ignored.
However, if definition 1 is used the question is more ambiguous. I might be upset by someone telling me my house is on fire, or my mechanic telling me the cost of repairs, or any number of other helpful truthful statements, but there would be no violation of my rights. In fact at times it is a violation of my rights to not be offended in such manners. So my question is: When does someone have the right to not be offended? I would say when there is a willful intent of harm, by the offender towards the offended.
dictionary.com:
harm n.

1. Physical or psychological injury or damage.
2. Wrong; evil.

Answer 3

i really think people nowadays take things people say to them way too seriously. A lot of times, when someone doesn't get a job, they claim that it's because they're black or Mexican. Bull crap. Maybe its because they're less qualified. In America, you've got to put on your "big boy" or "big girl" panties and deal with it...most people agree that working for what you get is a good thing. Another thing: people getting all bent out of shape because someone displays a Nativity scene on public property. Guess what? America is overwhelmingly Christian...Christmas is an accepted holiday out there. Pagans have Yule and someone has Kiwanis and the Jewish folk have Khanukkah. Khanukkah, Kiwanis, and Christmas have been accepted here for a long time. People can outwardly express holiday cheer...and that's good...AND THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE. If you're Pagan, you have every right to display a pentogram, but I"m telling you, it won't be there long. Christmas is something that most American (whether Christian or not) benefit from. No one besides the Pagans (aside from studied people) knows what Yule is or what it stands for. I'm all about free speech, but people are welcome to speak back...freely. If you get offended because your pentogram can be set next to a nativity scene, you're acting like a child. Grow up. Everything else of the like can be responded to in the same way....GROW UP! This is America. If you don't like being offended, pack your bags and head on down to Iraq or Saudi Arabia where offending people is illegal...and punishable by death. In America, we have the ability to agree or disagree. America is a nation that was founded as a democracy, one that recognized the needs of the MAJORITY. If you're in the MINORITY, you still have the right to do as you please, but don't expect the rest of America to be happy with it.

Answer 4

Everyone is so different chances are if you open your mouth someone will be offended. Like your question its self could be offensive to some people and that is why you dont have too many responses yet. Americans have tons of rights and we dont like to be offended but i seriously thinks its inevitable. People take everyhting personally and that will never change so as long as people have minds and think they will be offended by others. sad but true. People are very selfish i agree. We have a right to not be offended but chances are we will be offended any ways.

Answer 5

As an American, I find a great many things offensive: most pop music, modern television programming, 13 year old war protesters, etc. As an American, I also realize that I have the right to tune out, turn off, and ignore. It is when this right can no longer be exercised I truly will become offended.

Answer 6

I think people have the right to not be offended...everyone may be offended by different things that would otherwise not offend others. That would be too much like controlling peoples thoughts.

I don't think Americans can't have the right to not be offended (lots of double negatives there so you may want to read it a couple times)...people are free to think what they want and if they are offended so be it...there is no right that says you can't not be offended.

My head hurts.

Answer 7

Today you can just look at somebody in this country and they will think it's offensive. It's like everything you do and you don't is offensive. You talk about a tree, and some tree lover gets offended. You talk about somebody's dog calling it "it" and the owner gets offended, calling the dog he or she. I don't know what's wrong with people. Unless it's something so huge, like calling me a name or having a stereotype about me, I don't really get offended. If I can do it, then everybody should be able to. So I think Americans shouldn't be offended by everything they hear. It's just exagerrated.

Answer 8

I think in some degree you are right. Many people will not tell someone to have a Merry Christmas for fear of offending them.

Hello, this is not a bad thing, we are telling people to enjoy a day in their life, if they celebrate Christmas or not, they know it is a holiday to a lot of people and they can enjoy it in their own way.

To offend people by saying something nasty is one thing. And people have a right to be offended when people are insulting based on religion or nationality.

Answer 9

They have the right, but they'll have to achieve that on their own by simply not being easily offended. So, um...yes, but not in the same way that they have a right not to be harmed physically.

Answer 10

Yes.