When does Freedom of speech become offensive.

[ZR1cliff]

Years ago you could more or less get away with saying most things,having said that manners were more prevelant then and life seemed a whole lot simple,since the 70's the British culture has taken a major change,mainly due to the diverse cosmopolitan change in society ,now we have to take more of an account of what we say.

So when does freedom of speech become offensive?

[mybrainhurts]

When some PC prat thinks someone else will be offened.....

[Andy Mac]

I don't think anyone should be offended. There is a difference however, when plaquards like those in London, threaten beheadings, and terrorist activity. That is not freedom of speech, that is a threat.

[Popzak]

Andy Mac said:

I don't think anyone should be offended. There is a difference however, when plaquards like those in London, threaten beheadings, and terrorist activity. That is not freedom of speech, that is a threat.

I totaly agree mate.When threats are made,I no longer consider this Freedom of Speech.These Scum should be removed Instantly and by Any means.Includeing Force...

[R988]

But before when people were 'polite', they were also pretty much openly racist, sexist and so on as well, it was just 'the done thing', not always necessarily malicious though. I'd say things improved for the better since then to stop some of the blatant discrimination, with the main problem being that it has since gone too far with now everything seemingly discrimination to the point where everything seems like discrimination.

I could be completely wrong though, I wasn't even born until 1982 so I'll have to leave it to the more 'senior' members to remind us what it was like back in the 'good old days'.

Freedom of speech to my mind is accepting that someone is free to say something I might find offensive, but they must also accept that I can say something they might find offensive as well.

[wedg1e]

Tell you what, 988, it was shortly after 1982 when this place really started to go down the sh!tter in a lot of ways... drugs, dress, music, gangs, guns, more drugs, murder, manners, respect...

[Parrot of Doom]

Freedom of speech is only more offensive to those who desire more control.

[s2art]

If it cant be offensive then how is it freedom of speech?

[turbobloke]

It doesn't matter when FoS becomes offensive. Being offended is nowhere and a nothing.

[collateral]

It could be argued that if someone somewhere isn't being offended then freedom has failed

[Jaglover]

turbobloke said:

It doesn't matter when FoS becomes offensive. Being offended is nowhere and a nothing.

Exactly

Being offended should not result in any LEGAL constraint of freedom of speech. The only limit should be threats and incitement to violence.

[Yugguy]

The bloke yesterday going to a protest dressed as a suicide bomber, he says it's free speech but I doubt the families of those who died in London last year thought it was funny.

[CommanderJameson]

Yugguy said:

The bloke yesterday going to a protest dressed as a suicide bomber, he says it's free speech but I doubt the families of those who died in London last year thought it was funny.

So what? OK, it was tasteless, but hey. That's freedom of expression for you.

[Yugguy]

Well the title of the thread is... WHEN DOES FREEDOM OF SPEECH BECOME OFFENSIVE?

I suggest that it is in the case I've mentioned.

[CommanderJameson]

Yugguy said:

Well the title of the thread is... WHEN DOES FREEDOM OF SPEECH BECOME OFFENSIVE? I suggest that it is in the case I've mentioned.

But it doesn't matter.

If I'm free to say what I like within certain bounds (exceptions for threats, incitement to criminal activity and whatnot), it matters not one whit whether you're offended by it or not.

That's the "freedom" part, and it's really, really important.

[Yugguy]

Ah. So I'm free to walk up to someone with muscular dystrophy and shout "SPAZ!!!" in his face? Great. I don't think freedom of speech should be used as an excuse for deliberate offence, no.

[off_again]

One thing that should not be forgotten here (and before we are annexed by the USA) - the UK has no "freedom of speech" act. We never have had and are certainly unlikely to have one in the future either...

So quite why the media keeps banging on about "freedom of speech" is beyond me. You can be, and frequently are, held responsible for everything that you do, say or write in this country.

Go to the USA - they have a FoS act as a cornerstone of this legal system - but thats a different place - well it was last time I checked....

[Jaglover]

Yugguy said:

Ah. So I'm free to walk up to someone with muscular dystrophy and shout "SPAZ!!!" in his face? Great. I don't think freedom of speech should be used as an excuse for deliberate offence, no.

You should be able to do so with no LEGAL sanction against you. It would be morally wrong however.

[TeamD]

CommanderJameson said:

Yugguy said: The bloke yesterday going to a protest dressed as a suicide bomber, he says it's free speech but I doubt the families of those who died in London last year thought it was funny. So what? OK, it was tasteless, but hey. That's freedom of expression for you.

The cops should have shot him dead. Then we'd have the amusement of watching all the bleeding hearts come out to defend him. You can just imagine it, "Oh he was only joking...", "He was a lovely man, wouldn't hurt a fly...", yeah right! The fundamental question is....

Why the fk has this guy got this clobber in the first place? Kind of a bizarre fancy dress outfit isn't it? Or more realistically, Has he got the gear because he might actually use it one day?

[lord summerisle]

But we always go on about our 'rights' without thinking of responsabilities...

therefore our right to free speech, should be coupled with a responsability to use such a right responsably... and not fritter it away provoking draconian laws to curb said freedeom.