Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Irish Green Party member says bill 'restricting freedom' is for 'the common good'
Human Events ^ | June 15, 2023 | C.G. Jones

Posted on 11/28/2023 6:57:07 AM PST by lowbridge

Irish Green Party Senator Pauline O'Reilly recently defended her government's hate speech bill by suggesting that it is necessary to restrict people's freedoms by censoring gender-related speech that could make some feel "insecure" or uncomfortable.

She said: "When you think about [it], all legislation is about the restriction of freedom. That's exactly what we're doing here. We are restricting freedom, but we're doing it for the common good."

"You will see throughout our Constitution, yes, you have rights, [but] they are restricted for the common good. Everything needs to be balanced. And if your views on other people's identities go to make their lives unsafe, insecure, and cause them such deep discomfort that they cannot live in peace, then I believe that it is our job as legislators to restrict those freedoms for the common good."

The bill in question is The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offenses) Act 2022, which is an update to a 1989 law. The Catholic News Agency reported that the country's Department of Justice could consider the 1989 iteration of the law "ineffective," citing that "new technological developments and newly prominent minorities such as people of different races and religions, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as LGBTQ."

The bill states: "Hate speech is designed to shut people down, to shut them up, to make them afraid to say who they are and to exclude and isolate them. There is nothing free about that, and there is, frankly, no place for it in our society.”

(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: fartyshadesofgreen; gaza; hamas; ireland
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last
To: lowbridge

That’s always the excuse, is it not?


21 posted on 11/28/2023 7:22:51 AM PST by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that almost all of big media is AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brian Griffin

Exactly. Unfortunately technology and advances in transportation make it too easy for people to just get up and move away from their problems.

But eventually you’ll have 80% of the population living on 20% of the land, and that’s just not sustainable.

Ways must be found to distribute prosperity everywhere.

As Rush said, the problem is “an unequal distribution of capitalism”.


22 posted on 11/28/2023 7:24:44 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Lurker

Terrible and inevitable.


23 posted on 11/28/2023 7:24:45 AM PST by gibsonguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

The bill states: “Hate speech is designed to shut people down, to shut them up, to make them afraid to say who they are and to exclude and isolate them. There is nothing free about that, and there is, frankly, no place for it in our society.”

There’s “no place for” that bill “in our society.”


24 posted on 11/28/2023 7:25:46 AM PST by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

and that shows one the true soul of the green party


25 posted on 11/28/2023 7:40:28 AM PST by BigFreakinToad (Remember the Biden Kitchen Fire of 2004)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge
Yeah, about those "Hate Speech" laws, etc.

0-FDAFEF1-4117-4-E31-B29-B-8145-CD6-DCC48

26 posted on 11/28/2023 7:43:20 AM PST by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

So when there’s no freedom things will be perfect?


27 posted on 11/28/2023 8:04:30 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Successful People Have a Sense of Gratitude. Unsuccessful People Have a Sense of Entitlement)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

She could have given that speech at the Reichstag.


28 posted on 11/28/2023 8:12:02 AM PST by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bon of Babble

My password itself is probably Hate Speech. EEK!


29 posted on 11/28/2023 8:15:18 AM PST by Scrambler Bob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

how long now until you are told you must be executed for the common good? keep in mind that nearly every heinous thing we’ve been told for years could never happen IS happening. just fyi.


30 posted on 11/28/2023 8:18:46 AM PST by Qwapisking ("IF the Second goes first the First goes second" L.Star )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bon of Babble

Needed: A new, non-commie version of the IRA. The task: Hunt down and dispatch each and every politician who had a hand in creating this legislation or voted to approve it.


31 posted on 11/28/2023 8:36:19 AM PST by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

What kind of societies are the Western democracies that allow mentally damaged women to take away their freedoms? And this in Ireland, no less, that resisted the British boot for centuries. It’s sad to watch them crumble to a bunch of globalist ninnies.


32 posted on 11/28/2023 8:40:29 AM PST by Antoninus (Republicans are all honorable men.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yetidog
There are constitutional exceptions to free speech in the US..incitement, slander etc. and I suppose they are for the “common good” as well.

Ironically, freedom of speech was meant to apply to any speech which might have even tangential political value. Types of "speech" which were never intended to be covered (photos and videos of gross sex acts, for example) are now freer than they've ever been. Meanwhile, political speech not approved of by the government is forbidden.
33 posted on 11/28/2023 8:45:22 AM PST by Antoninus (Republicans are all honorable men.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge
Tyranny always cloaks itself in virtue.
34 posted on 11/28/2023 8:47:05 AM PST by Myrddin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

I may not agree with what you say, but shut up or I will beat you for it.


35 posted on 11/28/2023 8:50:56 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Democrats' version of MAGA: Making America the Gulag Archipelago. Now with "Formal Deprogramming")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson