In response to what many people said to writingsforwinter about free speech and this-isgay, I have this to say:
I know that you said you did not want to talk about the issue anymore, but I wanted to say that people are forgetting a very important part of the rights the Founding Fathers wanted us to have. They mainly wanted Americans to have free speech so that they could criticize government officials and others in power without fear for actions and comments that could potentially threaten their rights and well-being. It is a protection of citizens’ political rights so that the government could not ban people from speaking up about the government like the English Common Law of seiditious libel outlawed.
It is not a way for people to say offensive and hurtful comments to others, because in doing that you are infringing on their rights. The Supreme Court says that people have freedom of speech until their speech starts to threaten or pose a danger. What this-isgay said was hate speech, and it could be argued that it poses a danger to all gay people who read it. It could even be harassment if this-isgay does it repeatedly to someone. It does not qualify as free speech.
And it shouldn’t. Why would you ever want someone out there saying those things and causing other people such pain?
Thank you. I completely agree.