Is everyone entitled to their opinion?

by Dogpatch 35 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  sabastious

  Uh, there is NO FREE SPEECH ON A PRIVATE FORUM.

  Hello Talesin, I am aware that online forums do not have free speech. I am speaking more about the first amendment of the US Constitution and citizenhood rather than internet anonymity. The Western World was founded upon free speech because of the protection it offers the individual. With any kind of disincentivizing to free speech I would be obstructed in giving my opinion before I spoke. The citizen must be able to speak agaisnt what they feel is wrong and speak for what they feel is right. The details do not matter. Free speech gives citizens the opportunity to speak because there is no fear of punishment or reprimand for doing so. If such disincentive exists the truth about reality is eventually lost and replaced with what the the authority of the land regards as real.

  -Sab
• 

  talesin

  First of all, Sab, the western world was NOT, by any means, founded on freedom of speech. If you check your history, specifically, the slogan of the American Revolution was "taxation without representation". Freedom of speech only goes as far as we permit it. If you want (and don't mind sloggin through pages of inanity), you can read previous threads on this board,,,, during the Bush administration, when MANY Americans tried to limit freedom of speech in *this* forum by making inane statements like "you can't talk negatively about the office of the PRESIDENT", and "it's treason to talk against the gov't in a time of war" ...

  so your 'fantasy' of freedom of speech is just that ... put it to the test... and the very members of YOUR society who hold it dear to their hearts,,, try to suppress it when they disagree with those who are speaking against lies and subterfuge.

  This is all academic if we are applying it to this forum, though. The TRUTH remains, which is that it IS a private forum,, we are sitting in SIMON's coffee shop,,, or pub if you like,,, and must abide by HIS rules.

  And I, for one, think he is quite the 'benevolent despot'.

  tal
• 

  sabastious

  First of all, Sab, the western world was NOT, by any means, founded on freedom of speech. If you check your history, specifically, the slogan of the American Revolution was "taxation without representation".

  Wrong, my country was founded on the insistence of the existence of unalienable human rights. The first being independence the second being free speech and then things like "no taxation without representation" come into play. After the Declaration of Independence officially severed ties with the British Empire we created the US constitution with the intention of making free speech the first ammendment. This was because without free speech there could be no adequate representation of "the people" to tax. Free speech allows for fairness to have a chance. Without it there is no justice because reality is in the hands of the government. Without free speech there is no honest debate, and without debate there is no represenation of the people.

  Freedom of speech only goes as far as we permit it. If you want (and don't mind sloggin through pages of inanity), you can read previous threads on this board,,,, during the Bush administration, when MANY Americans tried to limit freedom of speech in *this* forum by making inane statements like "you can't talk negatively about the office of the PRESIDENT", and "it's treason to talk against the gov't in a time of war" ...

  Saying someone can't tell others to not talk negatively about an offical office is an exercise in free speech. By themselves the words hold no power beyond the sayer. However, if the words are enforced at all then the first amendment is being breached and justice requires serving.

  so your 'fantasy' of freedom of speech is just that ... put it to the test... and the very members of YOUR society who hold it dear to their hearts,,, try to suppress it when they disagree with those who are speaking against lies and subterfuge.

  Supressing free speech is the first step to dominating a populace that has free speech. Pointing out this fact doesn't make free speech a fantasy, but an obstacle for dictators. Do you think the 1st Ammendement of the US Constitution is not foundational to any system of governence worth it's weight? In my view without it we eventually revert back to the feudal times or worse.

  If you created a system of government, wouldn't you protect free speech of your citizens? Would it go in there somewhere?

  -Sab
• 

  EmptyInside

  Young children learn at a very early age,well,hope so anyway,"If you don't have anything nice to say about a person,don't say anything at all."

  I think it works very well for adults as well.
• 

  cyberjesus

  This thread proves itself
• 

  cyberjesus

  Second thought.. No I dont think so :-)
• 

  cyberjesus

  let me think... Am I entitled to my opinion?........ Do I have the right to think for myself and form a personal opinion?

  Do we really need to analize that question?

  Can you read this question?
• 

  blindnomore

  Cyberjesus-Do I have the right to think for myself and form a personal opinion?

  NO, You Do NOT!! if you are in North Korea. You will be excuted or you and your family including extended family along with their children will be sent to the Labor Camp where no one come out alive.( See d's post on North Korea)

  If you are JWs? (Well, Looks like North Korea(found in 1945) learned its behavior from the Borg(found in late 1800s').
• 

  sabastious

  Can you read this question?

  We couldn't if it was deleted from the system by a mod.

  Forums may be moderated to make sure they stay friendly and welcoming, legal and relevant. We reserve the right to edit or delete posts at own discretion and without notice, which we consider to be unacceptable. If you repeatedly break these guidelines, you may be prevented from posting.

  This forum doesn't have free speech as talesin already pointed out. The question of whether or not we are entitled to our opinion is a very valid question, especially on an international forum available to people who may not have free speech where they live.

  -Sab
• 

  steve2

  Fact is this forum is owned and operated by a private individual (i.e., Simon) who is perfectly entitled to make decisions about what violates the clear posting rules. It's no big deal. When in Rome....

  I am aware that most, if not all other forums on the internet (at least try to have and enforce) posting rules of one sort or another. Again, that is no big deal.

  It's got less to do with hampering "free speech" and more to do with having basic common understandings so that decency and respect prevail when emotions threaten to take over. The anonymity of the net means that given half a chance, when people feel exasperated or misunderstood or unappreciated, there is an increased tendency to resort to more personal ways of expressing oneself. We don't need social psychology experiments to show us that, when people think they won't be identified or caught, they are more likely to resort to personalized ways of getting back at people who have upset them.