[Noisebridge-discuss] Free Speech

[Rachel McConnell]

Censorship is when an entity with power suppresses speech by someone 
under its authority (usually legal but not necessarily).  When someone 
with equal power in a context - such as on a mailing list - asks, tells, 
requests, demands, etc that someone else not say something, this is not 
censorship.  It's another, equivalent, speech.

"Free speech" is the idea that the *government* should not censor its 
citizens, and has a responsibility to protect them from censorship by 
certain kinds of non-governmental authority, such as one's employer.

It's silly to claim censorship by another nb-discuss member.  It's not 
censorship, or even a failed censorship attempt, to ask someone else to 
modify their speech.  Free speech does not mean that people can't ask 
you to shut up, or otherwise react badly to what you say - it means you 
can say it anyway despite their objections.

Clear?
Rachel1.0

On 5/12/13 8:15 PM, Eric W. Rasmussen wrote:
> Very Great. Thanks Johny
>
>
> On 12.05.2013 20:10, Johny Radio wrote:
>> On 5/12/2013 12:41 PM, LinkReincarnate wrote:
>>> That is a straw man.  None of what he said was homophobic or racist.
>>> Even if it was I would defend his right to say it.
>> --It's not a straw man, it's a real scenario (i've heard racist and
>> anti-semitic remarks at NB, and i spoke up).
>>
>> --You might defend someone's right to post homophobic or racist
>> speech, but i'm pretty sure such list-posts would get shut down and
>> quick, by a broad and loud NB consensus. And the person likely booted
>> from NB.
>>
>>> In america the only limit we have on free speech is when you use it
>>> to directly cause bodily harm to others (yelling fire in a crowded
>>> theater)  Everything else must be protected (including speech you
>>> find abhorrent like racism, homophobia, or sexism)
>> --But Link, i'm just talking about noisebridge. You're discussing
>> america.
>>
>> --In any case, I believe there are a few types of illegal speech in
>> the USA:
>>
>>   * Defamation
>>   * "The lewd and obscene, the profane, the libelous and the insulting
>>     or 'fighting' words – those which by their very utterances inflict
>>     injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace."
>>   * Seditious speech (if accompanied by imminent threat)
>>   * Shouting fire falsely in a crowded theater
>>   * Threatening terrorism against the United States
>>   * Threatening government officials of the United States. Threatening
>>     the President of the United States or other officials are Class D
>>     felonies. When national boundaries are transcended, it is
>>     considered a terrorist threat. When a threat is made against a
>>     judge, it can be considered obstruction of justice. Threatening
>>     federal officials' family members is a federal crime.
>>       o There are three elements that make a threat illegal: (i) there
>>         must be a transmission in interstate commerce; (ii) there must
>>         be a communication containing the threat;(iii) the threat must
>>         be a threat to injure the person of another;(iv) and a
>>         reasonable recipient of the communication would consider it a
>>         threat.
>>   * "Utterances inimical to the public welfare, tending to incite
>>     crime, disturb the public peace, or endanger the foundations of
>>     organized government and threaten its overthrow."
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Illegal_speech_in_the_United_States
>>
>>> The proper response is not to try to censor people who don't agree
>>> with you, it is to use your own free speech to counter theirs.
>> --In general, Link, I agree with you, in and out of Noisebridge. But I
>> also believe in Community Standards (made by the Community). At NB,
>> community standards are not necessarily written; they are generally
>> determined and enforced by individuals, on-the-fly, without any
>> consistent, defined framework. That's by design.
>>
>>> Free speech is it's own check and balance.
>> --I'm not sure if history agrees with you.
>>
>>
>>
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