Should freedom of speech be limited
Yes
Side Score: 18
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No
Side Score: 26
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There's no way you can call the murder of Lee Rigby, for example, freedom fighting. It was just plain slaughter. Yet freedom of speech allows many in my country to condone it. Nor could you say the Charlie Hebdo murders where freedom fighting. By restricting freedom I would make people behave like decent human beings instead of animals Side: No
It already is. In reality there is no such thing as 'carte blanche' freedom of speech. The democratically elected governments of the west may legislate for such a freedom but legislation doesn't deter political and religious low lives such as the Muslim filth who tried to gun down a meeting of cartoonists in America for exercising their right to freedom of expression as American citizens. Try going into Harlem or the Bronx and openly express any anti black feelings you may have and see how long you can talk with a mouthful of teeth and a machete in your back. Reiterating the romantic drivel from naive academics or poets is a million light years from reality. Wakey wakey time to wake up. Side: Yes
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Remember Voltaire "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." Freedom of speech is something we have fought for and achieved. so it would be a retrograde step to set limitations. What we need, and have in Australia, are laws and acts that protect people from verbal abuse etc that provide consequences for the perpetrators. Just because we have freedom of speech does not mean we are immune from the consequences if it is offensive Side: No
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Depends on what you are limiting it for. If you are limiting free speech to spare some simpleton's feelings then no, that is wrong. If you are limiting a person's free speech because they are making slanderous accusations (falsely accusing one of rape or pedophilia) or are trying to cause public panic that endangers or threaten lives (shouting "fire" in a theater or joking about to a bomb in an airport) or are making threats of bodily harm then yes, there is a legitimate role for limitations. Side: No
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