Freedom of speech as defined by the 1rst Amendment is OK with me. If anything, I'd like to see the expansion of civil liberties in several areas including the repeal of the "material aid" interpretation of the Patriot Act, etc. that allows the government to charge you with a federal crime based on your speech.

So what's your point?

but I will defend anyone's RIGHT to spew it. The 1A is, IMHO, sacrosanct, don't anyone fuck with it.

"No, no, we don't support hate speech! We just think that our right to deliver abuse against other human beings for peculiarities of gender, sexuality, or skin color trumps their right to not be abused!"

Please tell me more of the oppressions dumped upon you, white heterosexual males.

Being white got me my job.

No, wait, there are women, men of color, and a lesbian woman of color doing the same job and making the same crappy money as me.

It gets me all kinds of sex.

No, wait, being a MAWG with a certain deficiency means I haven't been laid since 2004.

Well, at least I have my health.

No, wait...

OK, I didn't hit the jackpot, but I did get a few consolation prizes. One of those was that I had people give me books and shortwave radios as a kid, so I developed technological literacy and a global perspective at a young age. I have no doubt that being a white male has kept me out of jail, and maybe the gang that robbed me when I was 16 didn't beat me down or cut me because they knew the police would go harder after them for me being white.

I have less fear of physical attack because I am a larger person with big arms and the ability to change my "let's be friends" look to a harsh glare.

I tend to be a bit scruffy, so sometimes shop clerks might give me a suspicious look, but they don't often bug me unless I am in a place too fancy for the likes of me.

Anyhow, the point being, I am aware that I am a recipient of WM privilege. My life kinda sucks right now, so I am not in a hurry to throw away whatever minor breaks that gives me. But I am aware of this, and I try to use this awareness to treat people with as much kindness, respect, and helpfulness as I can.

My perspective does not come from any desire to hold anyone down. Far from it. I would feel much safer and more fulfilled with everyone living in a clean, comfortable home with an adequate supply of the necessities and even a few luxuries of life. Wave to your neighbors, maybe mow and rake for the poor elderly couple up the block...

My perspective comes from a desire to protect positive speech. And it comes from a perspective of not allowing "Thought Police".

If someone makes a specific threat of harm, then that should be actionable. But this whole concept that CERTAIN subsets of the human species should never, ever be offended - that is a DANGEROUS path which does little for safety and a great deal towards divisiveness.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/voltaire109645.html

Don't try to give me this 'lol my life isn't perfect so there's no white privilege' bull-fucking-shit. You know better, or, at least, you should.

Hate speech is abuse. It's that fucking simple. It's harassment, intimidation, and denigration. And for some fucking reason, a bunch of DU'ers are happy to fall on their fucking swords to keep abuse enshrined as holy and sacred.

Why?

Because they love delivering abuse, harassment, intimidation, and denigration. it's not a complex issue, if you rally to the defense of hate, you are a supporter of it.

And spare me this other bullshit about how it's "dangerous." I have yet to see any nation suffer the mighty dooms that bigots and hatemongers in this country portend if we should ever curtail their abuse of others. Nations that have legislated such standards are not crumbling. They are not falling apart, they are not in a state of decay or oppression, they flourish.

And don't give me this "it's divisive" garbage either. No, the hatred you are rallying to protect as holy and sacrosanct is what is divisive. The bigotry you think deserves enshrinement is divisive. The abuse of others you seem to feel is the absolute pinnacle of human thought and expression, that's divisive. Saying "No, we don't let you get away with abusing people" is the fucking opposite of "divisive."

You're "defending principles," alright, but they're sure as hell not the principles you want other people to think you're defending.

Now, return to your sniveling about how hard you have it.

The world IS a fucked up place.

I cannot say I know where you've been, or what you have seen. I have no clue as to what kinds of abuse you have suffered, and I have no right to tell you what to think.

But what I have read from you leads me to hope that somewhere you can find little slivers of peace and happiness to help keep you healthy and strong. That maybe a combination of good fortune and good people will allow you to escape the turmoil within.

Good luck, and blessings to you and yours.

Even to say that as abhorrent as the Wesbtoro Baptist Church is, I support their right to speak their minds. BUT, as we have found out, it is legal for jurisdictions to create "safety zones" such as within so many feet of funerals and internments where such speech is not permitted. This is no different than the prohibition on obscenity, yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, etc.

Where I have some difficulty is around allowing public airwaves (such as Faux News) to be used to communicate knowingly false and misleading information. I don't expect every news organization or commentator to be 100% factually correct but can we expect at least 70%?