Do we care about free speech anymore?

[Calmthedrama]

Not exactly an AIBU, but traffic and opinion here is high, so it seems a suitable place to ask big questions.

Personally, I believe people should be able to freely share and voice unpopular and unusual opinions in the public realm (both online, in the media and at public / state institutions like universities etc). This would include allowing so called ‘hate speech’ proponents onto various platforms in society to share their views, even if the many consider these views to be something-ist or something-phobic.

I believe that by shining a light on all views and opinions, we are able to learn from each other and (hopefully) better understand the motivations behind such thinking. This naturally leads to wider debate and promotes deeper thinking as well as a general respect for healthy debate.

It also forces all opinion / activist proponents to make better and more informed arguments and obviously publicly showcases any charlatans / psychopaths for what they are. E.g. if someone can’t provide evidence / make sense when making a case for some extreme opinion, then everyone learns.

I believe that the society wide increase in de-platforming and public ‘cancelling’ of individuals feels a bit like a race to the bottom intelligence wise. It leads us back on a well trodden path to fascism and a place where the ‘thought police’ become a reality.

Do people really understand what free speech means and why it’s so important anymore? Or do we just want to silence people we don’t like / understand / fear etc?

It feels like a lecture op

Have you ever experienced hate speech (or actions) and/or would you consider yourself in a group which has had/potentially have hate speech directed at them? That may influence how you feel about absolute free speech.

It sounds like an AI bot wrote it OP.

Join the Free Speech Union if you really care. They are brilliant.

Though I do think people that bang on about "Free speech" tend to mean they want to assert their "right" to publicly express repugnant opinions usually with a tinge of racism, sexism, ablism or ageism. And don't like being told that decent people aren't going to stand by and let them have a "voice".

I will look them up, thanks🙌🏻

So people should be freely allowed to be racist, sexist and homophobic with no consequences? Is that what you're suggesting?

That is a fair point to make, but I also think it’s just another way to shut down conversation and shame people into not speaking out about anything.

Along the lines of calling / shaming everyone who didn’t want a covid vaccine an ‘anti-vaxxer’ before understanding why. Or calling everyone who voted for Brexit a racist.

I think having that opinion works sometimes, but it is quite lazy thinking and assumes everything is binary with no grey areas.

Fwiw, I had the Covid vaccine and voted against Brexit personally - but I want to understand and give platforms to those who didn’t do the same as me. Also, given what we know now, I’d not have a vaccine, but I’d still vote against Brexit.

The sort of people who say this are generally unhappy that discirimatory views are no longer acceptable.

Freechat reporting for duty😆

How far are you taking it op? Is there any merit to hearing someone who thinks the holocaust didn’t happen? I wouldn’t say that there is

Assume you’d cancel me then😉

No, people don’t understand free speech
There are quite a lot of fools with no skin in the game who think the uninformed opinion of an outright racist should be given the same air time as well-informed non-bigoted views, and that there are no consequences to this. There are also idiots who think free speech means the freedom to speak without criticism.

Then, of course, there are the kind of bigots who complain ‘you can’t say anything anymore’, instantly revealing the racist or otherwise bigoted shite they were accustomed to spouting, or who use silly words like ‘woke’ or ‘somtheing-ism’ etc.

Free speech does not mean free speech without consequence, and it also does not mean free speech in spaces owned by organisations, be that physical spaces or online.

For example, if mumsnet don't want a bunch of horrible fucking racists spouting their shit on their website, that's up to them.

I.don't think.you understand what free speech is Op.its about the fredom.to.express religious ,polirical.etc opinions without the fear of retribution or being sensored but if you express racist ,homophobic ,or incite hatred or violence then you will.likely find there are consequences .

Why does OP's post sound 'like a lecture' or that 'a bot wrote it'? I think it's articulate and clear. Strange judgement!

Oh wait...that must mean a MNer didn't write it. OK.

Do people really understand what free speech means and why it’s so important anymore?

Oh the irony, I think you should look into what "free speech" or to give it it's corret name freedom of expression, actual entails before going on a rant about it tbh.

In law, freedom of speech is not considered an absolute right as it is dependent on the rights of others.

For example, the right to life is absolute because everyone has the right to life no matter who they are or what they may have done. There are no exceptions.

However, freedom of speech can be curtailed if it infringes on the rights of others, such as hate speech.

I do understand the premise behind your post though, and I do think conversations should be had, providing they are held constructively and with respect to others.

I’d say my political views are fairly middle of the road really🤷🏻‍♀️

I worry that many people think like you though, because I think you’re tarring belief in free speech with belief in extremism and they aren’t the same thing.

this.
when its has happened to your disabled child, you would not be so keen.

But the far right could recruit if allowed 'free speech' and there would be more dead women because the Incel movement would get bigger. Then there's Muslim extremists. As said there's responsibility and respecting the rights of others to exist. We saw how easy it was to get people against each other during Covid.

The thing is though that there are also others who don't hold 'middle of the road' views on a whole host of things, including politics, and their 'right' to absolute free speech would potentially be very harmful to other groups in society!

"because I think you’re tarring belief in free speech with belief in extremism and they aren’t the same thing."

Let's be honest, they often are. How many people use "free speech" as a defence of "saying really cunty things?

Are you a free speech absolutionist then op? Because people are free to talk about their reasons for voting for brexit, or espouse antivax sentiments or even conspiracy theories. Obviously people are also free to criticise them

Would you be up for defending someone's right to shout the N word at someone in the street? Or call a gay person a f*g? Or shout 'fire' in a crowded building?

Caveating my reply with - of course the holocaust happened.

But I think people should be free to believe / say otherwise. This is because 99.9% of the world is going to laugh at such nonsense. So yeah, let them say it, virtually no one will agree and they’ve made themselves look like a fool. I mean, where is their evidence / logic..

However, I absolutely think there is a line / grey area between free speech and incitement though.