Is Freedom of Speech more important that human life

Banning requires the implicit threat and use of violence against those who would peacefully exercise speech that might give offense to some people. In other words, you believe that it is a moral imperative that the violence that some people choose to display when they are offended by mere words or images should be solved by violence.

 

It is the people committing the violence that have determined that the movie is more important than the human lives that they have taken. The blame is squarely on them.

 

Maybe they should. Then we could see they have a sense of humor and we could get along better.

As for me, here's my joke about Jesus:

 

Yes...freedom and liberty are worth fighting for.

 

I have to give the people that are saying that we should ban the video in order to protect human life this one point in their favor:

It's easy for me to say that freedom of speech is more important than human life when it's not my life on the line.

I do believe that freedom of speech is too important to forsake even for the purpose of protecting people, but would my tune change if I was facing some kind of personal risk, or even if anybody I knew was at risk? Can't say for sure from here, as I'm very far away from the middle east or anywhere else where there's likely to be violence over this. I'd like to think that my convictions are so supreme as to be unshakable, but since nobody's trying to shake them ...?

 

Of course freedom of speech is worth it.

Besides, you can't give in to blackmail like that (OK you Europeans can). Otherwise the demands will never end. Then other groups will get the idea that they can shut up the opposition this way...

Really,when you get threats like this you should double down and hit back twice as hard (to paraphrase a certain ex-community organizer). There should be thousands more You tube videos, cartoons or whatever.

 

I've got a better question for you. Do you have the right to kill some random person because some one who lives in the same country offended you?

 

This is definitely a hard question, Is freedom of speech worth a life? What helps me digest this is thinking about other instances where freedom of speech is brought into question, like on television. You cannot say the F word on television. This means that freedom of speech is less important then not offending someone. So at least by people who want to sensor television, freedom of speech can be curbed as to not offend people.

Now that I think about it, this analysis seems reasonable. Making shamefully offensive media is not an important right to me. However it's unfair to just say "Only Islam is protected from offensive media". This must be made fair for each religion. so my final thoughts are that you must not be allowed to offend any significantly sized religion in the various forms of media.

 

Here's a scenario. In front of you I call your wife a fat smelly old slut. You take a swing at me, you connect, I fall hit my head and die. Who's the bad guy here, me because exercised my right to freedom of speech or you who just killed someone?

 

So the idiotic professor from Harvard who is trying to claim that Jesus was married should have been censored according to you? And Dan Brown's idiotic books should be banned?

 

Free speech carries a price. There is no safety blanket for those who practice free speech. Your words can cause you trouble.

However, anyone who goes around rioting, killing, and destroying property because of someone else using their right to free speech...is a retarded piece of scum.

 

So if your post makes me feel like killing someone then you should be made to shut up and be banned from this forum? No matter how irrational or insanely infantile my response may be?

 

If a Muslim was holding a sword to YOUR neck, saying insult Mohammed, go on do it, exercise your freedom of speech, YOU WOULD NOT.

What you are prepared to do is to exercise your freedom of speech, when other peoples lives might come to harm.

Which is very big of you indeed....

 

Freedom of speech, even if the speech is despicable and insulting, is NOT the cause of the violence, it is the excuse used to justify it!

 

Oh for pity sake. Free speech rights mean the government isn't supposed to censor you. Until the butthead that did that piece of claptrap got arrested no one free speech rigts were threatened. Now everyone's are. There is no free speech when government starts enforcing the non existant right to not be offended.

By the way the action in Libya appears at this time to have been not a spontaeous uprisng over the movie but an Al queda operation pure and simple.

 

Imagine if someone suggested we censor all left/feminist publications promoting abortion rights in order to protect doctors and clinics from radical prolife terrorists. Wouldn't that be a hoot?

 

Well the US right wants to stop gays talking about being gay...so it does seem a little hypocritical.

 

Are willing to have a bunch of over reacting nut jobs take away freedom of speech???

 

It's simple. The US constitution gives the right to Americans, living in America, the right to free speech.

God (apparently), prohibitted people from drawing or mocking Mohammed.

What do you think will happen if these two grooups of people insist on acting in the way they are currently doing?

They are both wrong in their actions and they are both threatening global stability and security, because of their ideology.

 

I think Republicans should start burning down buildings anytime a Democrat wins an election and Democrats should do the same thing when they don't get their way. If it offends someone, we should stop doing it right? Football offends people, so a bunch should start violently protesting at the games and we should of course bend to their will and ban football so they feel good.

Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of a free society. If Muslims have their way, only they will be the ones with the freedom to control how the rest of us are allowed to act. Its in their teachings, right there in B&W. Convert or kill those who don't follow you and violently force them into submission. I didn't make it up. The OP is the perfect puppet. Enjoy slavery.

 

You need to back up a little. It is the speech in the Koran and the freedom to disseminate it that caused these deaths and millions of others. But no, you want to restrict some Egyptian Copt in California because he is a christian, while they are muslims.

 

Absurd hyperbole.

 

If Allah cares so much, let Allah deal with it. Problem solved!

 

The only one who violated the law.