friday am 12th november 2010
my mail to yasmin alibhai-brown
In regards to the Twitter Stoning Post
To: yasmin@alibhai-brown.com
I find it absurd and idiotic that Gareth Compton has been arrested after commenting on Twitter. Are you really so sensitive and humourless that you'd consider this "racist" and an "incitement to murder"
The result of this case will be a new fear across the web of saying anything that might offend anyone, and our cherished values of free speech will be hurt as a result.
Political correctness is killing the expressiveness of our society. Frankly, if you can't deal with free speech, you shouldn't be here.
Your actions here are abhorrent.
Chris Beach
written by Chris Beach
12/11/10 09:15am
(1 year, 6 months ago)
12/11/10 09:15am
(1 year, 6 months ago)
3 comments
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She says that it was insulting and her teenage daughter was offended by it....and "it's really scared us" I can't beilive this bullshit.
10:13pm
i believe free speech, especially political, are being threatened by the belief that what i say offends someone enough to cause them to do violence. this is simply blaming the speech and not the actions of the violent. the whole point of saying what is on your mind is to inspire dialog. if the listener cannot control his anger, maybe he should stop listening or attend anger management.
as inciting violence or yelling fire in crowded theater is definitely not protected, when, where, and who decides what speech is hate? is it hate cause i do not like it or it disagrees with my basic belief? by allowing such ideas as political correctness, we are arming people with the ability to make sure no one says anything lest they offend another's sensibilities.
we are not children who need to be told not to sass or talk back, but i hope we are adult enough to know not everyone will agree with what we say.
Dennis
06:42am
Who are we to say what should offend people and what shouldn’t? Surely you see that alluding to her religion, at this, a most inauspicious time in our history, where people use religious incitement to cause the most heinous crimes and offences, could cause her to be more sensitive to the content and not the context of the tweet? People need to stop thinking about only their circle and take cognizance of how actions and statements affect others before jumping to conclusions man. Put yourself in their shoes.
I do not agree that the arrest in any way affects expressiveness or freedom of speech. No right is sacrosanct. Meaning that all rights are balanced by all other rights. Even freedom of speech has boundaries. Hate speech and incitement to violence are categorically, not allowed. This case will be tested before the judiciary and THEY will find whether it is incitement, hate speech, or simply a case of the complainant being too sensitive. THEY, however, will take into account the political situation before replying like you just did – shooting from the hip.
07:58am