The right to offend and the right to be offended

a reply to: LesMisanthrope
Pretty sure you made the claim that "The biology, the physics and the history do not match up with the superstition that people are affected by another's language."

Nobody is actually arguing that someone's language physically affects anybody else.

I'm still coming to terms with the fact that people want "civil" speech instead of "free" speech.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Blame parents for that.

originally posted by: Deaf Alien
a reply to: DBCowboy

Blame parents for that.

No, I blame everyone who doesn't support and defend free speech.

*shrugs*

I'm just an old guy on the internet.

a reply to: daskakik

i dont think people are always affected by the words others use. it is a matter of perception. you can hear them all nice sometimes even when they speak bad things, insult you etc..you can hear them other languages. it isnt what they say, it is what you hear.

i dont know what you mean by language so i cant say anything about the other paragraph.

a reply to: DBCowboy

I don't think anyone on this thread doesn't support free speech.
It's about being polite and responsible. And don't say anything to provoke people if you don't want bad consequences.
Otherwise it's on you. You're responsible for your speech.

but since you dont know that language you dont know perhaps it is what the others say and hears through you. it is another thing to think about.

originally posted by: xbeta
i dont think people are always affected by the words others use. it is a matter of perception. you can hear them all nice sometimes even when they speak bad things, insult you etc..you can hear them other languages. it isnt what they say, it is what you hear.

Correct. Sometimes what was said and what is heard is the same thing.

i dont know what you mean by language so i cant say anything about the other paragraph.

It was quoted text from the post I originally replied to in this thread.

originally posted by: Deaf Alien
a reply to: DBCowboy

I don't think anyone on this thread doesn't support free speech.
It's about being polite and responsible. And don't say anything to provoke people if you don't want bad consequences.
Otherwise it's on you. You're responsible for your speech.

By that reasoning, there is free speech in North Korea.

You can say whatever you want.

Sure, you're responsible for whatever you say and may suffer bad consequences. . . . .

a reply to: Deaf Alien

because if someone is not polite others hear it. no matter what you hear. how are you gonna make sure?

a reply to: DBCowboy

That's extreme but yeah. Isn't that how we defeat dictatorship?

a reply to: xbeta

Sorry. I am not sure I understand your question.

originally posted by: daskakik
a reply to: LesMisanthrope
Pretty sure you made the claim that "The biology, the physics and the history do not match up with the superstition that people are affected by another's language."

Nobody is actually arguing that someone's language physically affects anybody else.

When someone says "every human on this planet is susceptible to hurtful language", he is not saying people are physically affected by language? What is he arguing then?

Right to offend?

I've even seen freedom of speech for which soldiers blood is spilled to be used to engage in psychological manipulation.

For instance, when I was in college I became interested in religion, not having had much experience in it in my household. So, I called a church that had advertisements on TV. They sent their representatives out and presented many lies.

For instance, they indicated that there were only two churches, their church and the church of the devil, better known as Satan. They indicated that Benny Hinn was fake as were his faith healings. Then members of other churches came to my doorstep and expressed hostilities, thereby CONFIRMING what these representatives had said, that these other churches were in fact of the devil.

Now, these representatives failed to tell me that their founder prophesied the returning of Jesus in 56 years and the Jesus appeared in one of there temples, yet the Bible says that when returns ALL EYES will see him. He will appear as the sun rises in the east and decimate that forces of Armageddon that have gathered for battle. Jesus' feet will set down upon the mount of Olives and the mount will cleave into a valley.

So, obviously freedom of speech is not really a benefit to society.

so i think we must force them to be polite

a reply to: DBCowboy

That is the reality of the situation, isn't it?

or they should force us to understand everyone hears them polite.

elvis is leaving the building. gotto sleep. bye.

a reply to: Deaf Alien

you dont have to. just believe in force.

a reply to: Deaf Alien

I don't think anyone on this thread doesn't support free speech.
It's about being polite and responsible. And don't say anything to provoke people if you don't want bad consequences.
Otherwise it's on you. You're responsible for your speech.

People often pay lip-service free speech, but refuse to do so when Nazis or KKK exercise theirs.

I found this little gem today.

It's a story about in incident that took place at UTA. Two students sitting next to each other in a lecture hall engage in a conversation that is offensive to both.

The article outlines both versions. The long and short of it is that one student is gay and the other is not. Gay student hits on/flirts with straight student. Straight student objects. Things go downhill from there.

In the end, both students give completely different accounts of what happened, but the gay kid lodges a complaint against the straight kid and the straight kid gets kicked out with a disciplinary mark on his report which will adversely affect him wherever he goes. The only corroborating witness report agreed that "someone" said "you should leave" at some point but doesn't say who.

And the two admins who decided this admitted there wasn't enough evidence to do it, but they did it anyhow.

This is all over speech and people being offended over speech. And no one actually knows who said what because all we have here is one personal account against another.