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According to the Constitution and the 1st Amendment people have the right to SAY anything they want. People don’t have the right NOT to be offended by these things, but in turn have a right to respond and SAY whatever they want. (Keeping in line the laws against slander/libel, inciting riots, and basic responsibility (yelling FIRE when there is none, etc...), and the specific rules set up on this particular site, of course). It is our responsibility as CITIZENS of our country to stand up against this type of thing whether the site be conservative, OR liberal (i.e. DU, DailyKos, etc...).

I will remind you, though, of the John Adams quote above.

You have the RIGHT of free speech. You have the RESPONSIBILITY not to abuse it.

It's generally true that others do NOT have the right to not be offended by what you say.

But there's a corollary to that: if you're irresponsible in your exercise of free speech, you MUST accept the consequences of people forming opinions about you, based what you say.

Many on this thread correctly note that FR is truly "in the game" as an influential part of American politics. It's disingenuous to claim that we can be influential, and at the same time attempt to deny others the right of judging us by what gets said here.

We should not be surprised when most of that judging is directed to where the shouting is loudest. The lesson we should take away from these recent "hate site" incidents, is that if you're going to yell, you had better be yelling something that you want the folks on the next block will find sensible. What you don't want, is for them to think you've been drinking again.

"...It's disingenuous to claim that we can be influential, and at the same time attempt to deny others the right of judging us by what gets said here..."

I don't agree with everything you have said in this thread, but this is right on the money and bears repeating.

Freedom of Speech DOES have responsibilities and consequences.

I agree with you r9etb.

I think we can defend the 1st Amendment, as well as work to make sure that things on the site do not give false appearances.

I think we already do that on the whole, but perhaps we need to be more vocal IN the threads when someone is close to going off the ledge, so to speak (or has had one too many!). (o:

The problem we are running into though is that the liberal definition of “hate” speech as well as the MSM’s, is vastly different from the majority of thinking people in our society. Thus, I don’t think we will ever be free of accusations no matter how “PC” we make this site. They will ALWAYS find something to point at.

We really need to take a stand and NOT appease them by being too cautious either. The public is really tired of double-speak, and is yearning for straight-forward commentary (precisely the type of commentary that will get us in “trouble” with the left). We alrady strike the most blatant and obvious posts, and ban posters who show themselves to be trouble-maker. I would hate to see our freedoms needlessly restricted further (no pun intended).

Speaking out civilly in-thread against these posters, and making use of the abuse system is again, the only way I can think of to deal with the problems that indeed all forums are prone by nature to have to deal with.

The lesson we should take away from these recent "hate site" incidents, is that if you're going to yell, you had better be yelling something that you want the folks on the next block will find sensible. What you don't want, is for them to think you've been drinking again.

I've loved all your posts, r9...but this has to be the best line yet!