Britain No Longer Values Free Speech

[Strike For The South]

something something Hitler

something something the death of civilzation

[Rhyfelwyr]

Freedom of expression came about as an ideal at a time when there was mass oppression of any sort of dissenting political/religious beliefs.

It is from that context that the ideal comes from, and it has been achieved for a while now in the UK.

It was never about letting people walk around in public openly mocking the recently deceased regardless of how their family etc might feel.

The slippery slope doesn't come into things here.

[Kralizec]

Freedom of expression came about as an ideal at a time when there was mass oppression of any sort of dissenting political/religious beliefs.

It is from that context that the ideal comes from, and it has been achieved for a while now in the UK.

It was never about letting people walk around in public openly mocking the recently deceased regardless of how their family etc might feel.

The slippery slope doesn't come into things here.

People from the early modern age who defended freedom of expression were often pretty radical, using and defending examples that are relevant even today and not entirely acceptable to everyone.

John Stuart Mill, if I recall correctly, defended the right of a guy who called for the assassination of Napoleon III. An analogue of this day would be Pat Robertson suggesting that the CIA should assassinate Hugo Chavez. Lot's of outrage here and there, but as far as I know he wasn't prosecuted and I don't know of any attempts to outlaw this kind of speech in reaction to what he said.

Mill also felt however that besides legal restrictions there are also societal restrictions; people could be ostracised for what they expressed and that can be just as bad as any action of the government. Public acceptance of freedom of speech is just as important. Every now and then there's the call to ban flag burning in the USA, and he would have disliked not just the proposal but also the fact that it enjoys meaningful support.

I'm leaning towards Mill without entirely agreeing. I think the difference between encouraging others to commit a crime and paying them to commit that crime can be extremely small, so the former should be punishable under some conditions. What the guy in the OP did doesn't qualify for punishment. I would not be happy if people were to deny him access to shops or whatever (social ostracisation) but seeing as how that also touches upon others' freedoms that's neither here nor there.

There hasn't been a perfect legal right of expression in any European country as far as I'm aware. Exceptions that are ultimately justified by "it just might harm public order" or "it would emotionally hurt some" are commonplace. Personally I think that punitive sanctions should require some additional reason above and beyond those two.

[naut]

something something Hitler

something something the death of civilzation

Yes, I evoked the great Godwin, I admit my mistake. This is the quote I was thinking of:

My own opinion is a very simple one. The right of others to free expression is part of my own. If someone’s voice is silenced, then I am deprived of the right to hear. Moreover, I have never met nor heard of anybody I would trust with the job of deciding in advance what it might be permissible for me or anyone else to say or read. That freedom of expression consists of being able to tell people what they may not wish to hear, and that it must extend, above all, to those who think differently is, to me, self-evident.

This is what I was trying to say about this particular situation.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

What does any of that have to do with "One less pig--perfect justice. Killacop4fun.com...ha, haaaa?"

Is that his "voice"? Would you really describe it as him expressing a thought and "telling people what they may not wish to hear"?

[Fragony]

What does any of that have to do with "One less pig--perfect justice. Killacop4fun.com...ha, haaaa?"

Is that his "voice"? Would you really describe it as him expressing a thought and "telling people what they may not wish to hear"?

It crosses a line imho, but you can also jail every rapper since Gilles de la Tourette if you go there.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

OH come on guys, this guy was walking around three hours after the WPC's were shot wearing this thing.

He's not making a political point - he's just vile.

[Fragony]

Yeah but what can you do about it, vile yes, very

[Rhyfelwyr]

This is a real example of infringing on freedom of speech.

Men arrested for distributing National Front leaflets.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

double post