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To: mykej
"So please tell me, how does his expression of speech intrude on anybody else's rights?"

Where have you been? There are so many limitations placed on our "free speech" rights as to almost make them meaningless, at times. Try these as examples:

A man in Washington DC was forced to resign from his job for using the word 'niggardly'. The word was used properly, but in front of some ignorant people who mistook it for the racial pejorative.

Hate crimes - Why is the use of a racial pejorative during an assault deemed to be a greater crime then just plain assault? Does one not have a free speech right to use such words, even if inflammatory?

Utterances of Pejoratives - The City of Laguna Beach passed legislation to start tracking people who use pejoratives such as: faggot. The lists are being kept to track people, for what purpose?

The use of certain words to describe people is no longer acceptable and can cause people grievous injury from being fired to being killed. WHY? Because people find such words to be offensive. But the right of a person to offend others is subjectively protected. Thus some feel a Black Power salute or burning a flag or giving the bird during the Pledge is acceptable, in spite of the fact that many find it offensive.

To accept one demonstration of "free speech" while simultaneously passing legislation on Hate crimes (thought police), or by selectively denouncing other forms is very hypocritical.

19 posted on 06/30/2002 1:04:16 PM PDT by Michael.SF.
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To: Michael.SF.
Does abridging this young man's rights help the overall situation for constitutional rights in the US or hurt it?

How does denying this kid's right to protest fix the other problems?
20 posted on 06/30/2002 2:04:03 PM PDT by mykej
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