Does a person have the right to NOT be offended?

Question

I am only speaking in reference to the United States.

Example one:
An atheist drives to work everyday and passes a large cross on his way (not on public land, remove that debate). Does he have the right, because he is offended by it, to make them take the cross down?

Example two:
I drive through the city of Las Vegas on a regular basis. There are dozens of billboards right off the interstate that show naked women and advertise strip clubs, porno shops, massage parlors that guarantee "happy endings," etc., etc. Do I have the right, because I am offended, to petition the city of Las Vegas to have those billboards removed from public view?

These are just examples, they are not meant for you to respond to in particular. As for my personal opinion, I would answer my own question "no."

Al_Mur: You are correct, there are no nipples or pubic hair showing. They do show full back nudity, (butts) and breasts that are covered by penny-sized dots. They also advertise "threesomes" and bars where "anything goes: totally nude."
All this in full public view from Interstate 15 where families and children drive by on their way to California or Utah.
As you can tell, I am offended by this, but I don't believe I have the right to make them take them down.

Answer 1

I suspect that here in the United States, we have been conditioned by the media, particularly by TV, to believe that being offended is the same as being right.

Since we are so fond of being right, many of us go around looking for things to be offended about, just to enjoy our self-righteousness.

I'm rather of your opinion, and think that there are much more pleasant things to do than be offended.

Let's you and I be right about this, and we don't even have to be offended.

Answer 2

Honestly, I think as Americans, we are almost conditioned to be offended. If it is not our way, we complain, but then we forget that our complaints take away the rights of someone else.

Yes, an atheist has the right to be offended by a cross, but who ever put that cross there has a right to do so and to keep it up. You may be offened by the naked ladies in Vegas (and I would be too), but the people who pay for those billboards have a right to put that up. I know a vegan who is offended by McDonalds and rants each time he sees teh Golden Arches.

By removing what offends you won't solve the problem. There is a huge crusifix not far from my house. It was put there by the first Catholics in my area. It's very public, but it will never be taken down. Do atheists and wiccans who drive get offended? Posibly, but it's a part of our history. It defines a moment in time for where I live. IF it were taken down, it would offend the catholics in the area. There is no way of stopping someone from being offended, but sometimes, there is nothing you can do. The cross stays up, the billboards stay up, and we must learn to live with it.

Answer 3

1.) If the cross is on private property then I would have no say in whether it stayed or not. It may offend me but tough sh**.

2.) I seriously doubt that the "naked women" are showing the important bits, e.i. nipples, pubic areas. Those are most likely obscured by little stars or such. If they were showing the forbidden zones then they would be in violation of whatever laws Nevada may have regarding that. If they are obscured we are again dealing with a private property issue and once again I say tough sh**.

Answer 4

people have the right to be or not be offended by pretty much anything. Being offended is OK. Trying to shut down whatever offends you is not OK.

Answer 5

Why the hell would an atheist be offended by a cross?

It's atheist, not anti-theist.

Do you see?