Limitations on free speech fall into the “harm” and “offensive speech” catagories. You have the old saw about yelling fire in a crowded theater” which is comman sense. However, Joel Feinberg’s limitations against offensive speech threatens us through the ever expanding “hate speech” limitations as well as prohibitions against offensive language applied to certain religions. The slope is indeed slippery and we are only a quarter of the way down.
“bloggers and all citizen-journalists must have the same rights and protections as the rest of the journalism profession.”
The Journalism Profession. Well La-Ti-Da. Many bloggers are not making money with Ad Revenues unlike the Journalism Profession with on line and print Ads.
Therefore, those bloggers are Less likely to selectively report their subject or slant it to prevent upsetting the Advertisers and losing Revenue.
And as many times as I’ve read the First Amendment, I’ll be Deuced if I can find anything about it protecting anyone’s Right to be protected from being Offended.
Bullying is the new boogey-man. My idea of bullying is someone who hurts you or threatens to hurt you in return for money, objects or assistance (like homework).
My kids told me the new, slippery definition. Disagreeing with someone angrily and hurting their feelings in the process can also be bullying. If I tell you that you are wrong and you cry, I’m now a bully.
Now we not only have to assume that he who is the most emotionally invested in a topic is more right, but telling them that they are wrong is now morally wrong.
We’re starting to see this scope creep in shutting down those who say homosexuality is wrong because that bullies gays. It’s not even shutting down speech you find offensive, just what you say hurts your feelings.