On Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 9:35 AM, Arbol One <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Freedom of speech does not translate to freedom of insulting > The statement above is a common sophistry that should not go unchallenged: The whole point of "freedom of speech" is so that you can say things that are controversial and uncomfortable (read: "insulting") to and of those in power. Even the most oppressive tyrants are happy to give their subjects the "freedom" to speak banal, pedestrian, and uncontroversial words. Let us not dumb-down freedom of speech into the freedom to chit-chat. In the US, "freedom of speech" means the "freedom to speak the truth", with a broad interpretation of the meaning of "truth". Any statement of opinion is automatically considered truth. Willful deception that causes harm, such as "shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater", is an offense. Note, though, that there is no prohibition against yelling "fire" in a crowded theater if the theater really is on fire. In the US, truth is an absolute defense against libel and slander, and the burden is on the plaintiff to prove that the defendant knowingly spoke (or wrote) an untruth. Whether or not the speech is "insulting" does not really come into play. Please remember, however, that having the freedom to do something does not imply it is always wise to act upon that freedom. Prudence dictates that one should choose ones words carefully. Gentle persuasion usually works better than insults. Furthermore, words are often a good indicator of the speakers soul. If you see someone (or more importantly, if you see yourself) uttering vile and ugly words, insults, and oaths, that is usually a good sign that the speaker is in need of introspection and repentance. All that said, it has been my experience that when someone in authority tries to regulate speech so as to avoid insulting this or that interest group, the goal is usually not about seeking truth and wisdom but rather to shutdown debate, sniffle dissent, and impose hegemony. Finally, please note there is no freedom of speech on this mailing list. The standard here is that all remarks must be beautiful and edifying. Unconstructive criticism and gratuitous references to body wastes and/or acts of rape (whether by taboo words, figures of speech, acronyms, puns, or innuendo) are not tolerated and are grounds for banishment. -- D. Richard Hipp [email protected] _______________________________________________ sqlite-users mailing list [email protected] http://sqlite.org:8080/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sqlite-users
