Is it normal i think free speech comes with lots of restrictions?

Should anything be allowed to be talked about in a formal public platform? What about in ear shot of other people e.g. restaurant, park. And in your own home?

Should someone be allowed to voice their opinions on wanting to rape? Murder? Kill people? Imprison all males? What do you mean when you talk about free speech?

Is It Normal?
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  • Well, free speech considering the 1st Amendment is more about preventing the government from silencing you. It doesn't mean you can mouth off at any place or time, especially if you're putting others in danger. Which is why you can't scream "Fire!" in a crowded theater.

    Basically I've learned that people in America use free speech as an excuse to be fucking bigoted piece of shit hateful assholes about their batshit crazy opinions. Like religious people trying to claim gay marriage is an infringement upon THEIR rights.

    Sorry, I'm a little feisty right now.

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    • Ooh. I got one too. Saying "bomb!" at an airport

      *passes along the talking pillow*

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      • I love how your name emphasizes such irony !! Classic :D

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      • Hahaha! Or you could stand up and scream "Allahu Akbar!" See what happens.

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        • Years ago I traveled taking my guitar and amp (like a nerd) as hand-luggage. And if you've seen amps they can sort of look like a bomb box. You have no idea how tempted I was to suddenly leave the amp in the middle of the crowded airport hall and run the fuck away

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    • How about this. If you are in a crowded theater and there IS a fire, what should you shout then?

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      • Better yet: what if you honestly think that you can smell something burning in a theatre and shout "fire", but it turns out that you were mistaken?

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        • Well I guess you should shout "smells like fire" just to be safe.

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          • No, that would offend somebody who is insecure about their perfume.

            I guess, some people just don't get that endangerment and offensiveness are extremely metric. And on top of that subjective.

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    • "bigoted piece of shit hateful assholes"

      Who gets to decide who is a bigoted piece of shit?

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      • The dictionary decides. Bigot - 1.
        a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.

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        • There's a lot of subjectivity in that definition. Would someone who opposes pedophilia in an unambiguous way be counted as a bigot?

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          • Pedophilia relates to behavior, it's not an opinion or creed or belief.

            No law could stop anyone from believing pedophilia, rape, murder, genocide or anything else is OK, but to publicly condone or recommend any of these things shouldn't be allowed in the name of free speech

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          • It says "any" differing creed, belief, or opinion. I assume that means a person will not tolerate ANY belief other than their own. I'm okay with Buddhists, not pedophiles. Perhaps someone would be opposed to both, including every other religion and creed.. Pedophilia is a rather shoddy example because it's universally frowned upon.

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            • No it isn't. Look at the child brides ISIS takes. You're assuming values are universal. Would forcing someone to make a wedding cake for the marriage between an ISIS fighter and a ten-year-old be something that happens in your ideal society?

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  • "Should someone be allowed to voice their opinions on wanting to rape? Murder? Kill people? Imprison all males?" Last time I checked you could get arrested for threatening people like that.

    There's a big difference between "I don't think it's right to grind up horses for glue." and "I'm going to rape your mother and kill you."

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    • Obviously there's a difference between expressing an opinion and making a direct threat to do harm. Much as I hate to say it as a survivor of rape, there's a huge difference between some fuckwit saying rape is ok and the same or another fuckwit threatening to rape a particular person.

      When and were has anyone been arrested for expressing the views you list in your first paragraph?

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      • Okay then fine. This country is running into the ground because of people like you anyway, I just thought I could help a little but whatever. Have fun trying not to be killed for running your mouth around the wrong people

        ^-^

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        • What does "people like me" mean? And which country am I running into the ground? Your post makes no sense at all

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    • Well by voicing opinions about rape I meant like having someone on a discussion panel on tv saying they want to rape women as it's their right, or kill black people because they are black. No one would be allowed to say this on a discussion show as it's just ridiculous, therefore not every opinion is listened to as some are plain dumb. That's the point I was making: free speech doesn't mean we talk about everything, in a morally well developed society there are many things that would no longer be discussed. The person with those opinions would just be laughed at.

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      • Two things. They're still saying it's their right to rape and kill people, which is illegal. Also the reason you never hear people talk about it on talk shows is not because it's illegal, but rather because the station knows it would lose viewers, and therefore money. You want to say that stuff? Go buy your own tv station. If freedom on speech were illegal, there would be no neo-Nazis, the KKK would be abolished, there would be one political party, one religion (if any) and only government sanctioned media.

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  • Speech and thoughts should never be illegal.

    Deeds and intended deeds can be.

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  • One of the best talks about free speech in modern time (made BEFORE there was ISIS, mind you):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyoOfRog1EM

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    • Oh did you have to cite that link? Damn you, now I have to back down, because Hitchens has reminded me of my Anarchist origins and I need to retract the statement in my earlier post that people who advocate rape, pedophilia etc shouldn't be allowed to do so

      Of course Hitchens is right, he usually is even when he annoys me by being such a smartarse: I would trust NO government to decide what I should say or what I should hear so I cannnot in all logic deny those rights to others, even if they're total moronic bigots.

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      • Oh but I had to. This speech belongs into all conversations on free speech. And I'm glad you agree.

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  • You can say whatever you want. Just know that there are consequences for certain things, even if they are just voiced thoughts. Ya gotta be careful these days. We wouldn't want to hurt people's feelings or anything so be mindful of that too. Bahhhh.

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    • There are consequences for thoughts?

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      • Voiced thoughts. If you say you're thinking about raping someone and you are overheard, there may be consequences for that. If you say you wish you could assassinate the president, there will be consequences for that. Joking at an airport yelling bomb! It was a funny thought in someone's mind but once they said it out loud, no one was laughing.

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      • There are if we're living in George Orwell's 1984. The Thought Police will get you.

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        • What Thought Police? Give me one example of someone being punished for what they think

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          • Have you read the book 1984? I was referring to that.

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            • I've not only read it many times, I still have the copy I bought in the 60's: not Orwell's best writing and frequently misunderstood.

              I was asking how you think it's relevant to today's world and in particular, to this discussion

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