40% of Millennials Oppose Offensive Free Speech
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Censorship is anathema to democracy. Free speech only works if everyone enjoys it equally. When you start banning and penalizing expression on the basis of what is "offensive" you have opened up the liberty to whimsical violation. The irony is these censorship advocates think they are helping minorities with their position, but they are only creating opportunity for more abuse. They are entitled, overwrought hypocrites and their ideology is alarmingly contagious. Well said. I agree totally. One of the ideological cornerstones of America, going back to the times of our Founding Fathers, is Free Speech. Sure, do I get pissed when I see some tool burning the American flag? You bet. As a combat vet, I feel like putting his head through a wall. A brick one. But as soon as we put the kibosh on the types of free speech we do not like, or agree with, we have begun to tread on a very slippery slope. Or as you said in more eloquent terms, opened up liberty to whimsical violation. (Or did you mean to say "volition?" That word fits too.) The 40% stat does not surprise me in the least. Except in the way that I might have thought that percentage to be a bit higher, given the absurd and alarming propagation of the Nanny and Entitlement State over the past 10 years. These kids were raise by namby pamby old hippie parents who felt it better to bargain with their children instead of discipline them. So once they are out into the Big Bad World it is no wonder they continue to think Authority and Big Uncle is their friend and protector. Hell, even Ronald Reagan new of the perils of the Nanny State. A quote from him........ "Eight words that every American hates to hear are, 'I'm from the Government; I'm here to help.'" Actual, absolute free speech was not an ideological cornerstone of the United States or its Founding Fathers. It was extended only to some people and actively violated for others, particularly those who were slaves, women, or indentured servants. One of the reasons the US frequently fails to actually realize free speech is because it has such a strong, pervasive legacy of failure. I do not disagree with the rest of your observations, although I might qualify your observations a bit regarding the Nanny State. I think that factors, certainly, but the trend is not just among American Millennials so it seems premature to ascribe it exclusively (maybe even primarily) to the Nanny State which was not a consistent reality in other nations the way it has been in the US. Such censorship only serves to increase resentment against the ethnic minorities it is designed to protect and, as in Europe, is open to abuse, i,e, 'the victims of so called offensive remarks taking the offender and, if applicable, their employer to court to seek damages. Being from Ireland I'm well used to the ''Irish''jibes but take them in good humour then bust the nearest heavy object over the provocateur's teeth. No need for censorship. 1
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Offensive free speech needs to be protected. I don't believe the 1st amendment exists to protect inoffensive speech, because inoffensive speech would not need protecting...it's inoffensive. If the door opens to even a moderate level of censorship on anyone's basic right to free speech and peaceful protest, then there is really no coming back from it. Who gets to decide what is or is not offensive? Offense seems too subjective for a mediator to have any kind of final say. If the statistic of 40% is correct, then that just tells me that 40% of millennials don't have any genuine opinions of their own, they are just feeding from the opinions of others, because if they ever had to express a true and genuine thought that others may have disagreed with, then they would more value the treasure that we have in this country of free speech. |
