Freedom of Speech
In the Constitution of the United States it is stated in the 1st and 14th amendments that a person has the right, within reason, to publicly express their opinions without the fear of punishment or censorship. Of course we all know that this is the Freedom of Speech. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and no one should be afraid to state what they feel.
In recent months I have noticed a lot of people being offended by the opinions of others who write on the internet. I know of a few writers who have been threatened for articles they have written. I personally have received very rude comments on my articles on Abortion and Euthanasia. They can be found at http://www.associatedcontent.com/cristina134 . Some comments I chose to delete because they were way out of line. I don’t mind if they simply state their own opinions on the subject matter, but when they tell me that I’m wrong and that I need to better research my articles I get offended. I refuse to let anyone tell me what to believe in and what to write about. No one is going to like everything they see online or in a magazine, but to go as far as to threaten a life because of the author’s opinion is ridiculous.
There will always be controversial topics floating around, especially on the internet. No one should be threatened, harassed or downgraded for what they write. Opinions are simply being shared. Everyone has them. Don’t hate someone for them, simply state your own opinions and be heard.
- Cristina134's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- 285 reads
I'm going to take a different view of this,...
Everyone does have the right to freedom of speech. However, with freedom comes responsibility. Therefore, if you decide to say something that's intentionally provocative, and you get beaten or hurt for it, well, it may not be right, but those are the consequences of your actions. In other words, don't start none, won't be none.
Am I supposed to walk down the street and allow you to call me names? My mother names? Am I supposed to allow you to say bad things about me that aren't true in as many places as you'd like, and not do something about it? No, I don't think so.
What some people call political correctness, I call making sure that what you say you're ready to back up, no matter the consequences. In other words, on both ends, if you can't take it, don't say it.
Services and Stuff, a web portal of quality services and products
You're right...
but my post wasn't about that kind of harassment. It was about writers having the freedom to express their opinions on controversial issues in their articles. Of course this must be done within reason. Some writers do cross the line, but others are just choosing to write about very controversial issues and they shouldn't be punished for this.
I do agree with your views...The phrase "within reason" plays a big role in the whole Freedom of Speech thing. Someone calling a person names and spreading lies is not within reason.
I'm not sure if you've,...
seen my latest post, but in a way I agreed with your general premise. I say "in a way" because, though I support freedom of the press, I also will say that, when people disagree with them, that they need to be ready for others to disagree with their positions. For instance, we had that guy in California writing editorials for AsianWeek and writing columns like "Why I Hate Blacks" and "Why I Hate Asians" and the like, and though he had the "right" to write such garbage, his wondering why people got mad, and his subsequent firing, was one of the most asinine things I'd ever heard.
Services and Stuff, a web portal of quality services and products
I agree 100%...
Some writers do cross the line...like the guy you're talking about. There is a very thin line between right and wrong.