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To: yendu bwam
Let's say that we took the same ad, and instead of two men's hands inside that circle, I chose to place a white hand, and a black hand...then mader some sort of comment about how wrong inter-racial marriage is.

Would that be considered offensive?
112 posted on 02/13/2003 12:39:11 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (The Ever So Humble Banana Republican)
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To: Luis Gonzalez
Let's say that we took the same ad, and instead of two men's hands inside that circle, I chose to place a white hand, and a black hand...then mader some sort of comment about how wrong inter-racial marriage is. Would that be considered offensive?

Many people (but not all) would find that offensive. But that's not the point at all, Luis. In the United States, I have the right to say whatever I want - whether it be offensive to someone or not. Your idea that we should squelch offensive speech is offensive to me - but that's irrelevant to your freedom to say it. If I say any of the following, someone will be offended: abortion is wrong, the Confederate flag shouldn't be flown over state capitols, Boy Scouts should ban homosexual scoutmasters, Catholic priests should be allowed to marry, etc. etc. Once you ban speech that offends, you have the power to ban all speech. The 1st Amendment guarantees the right to free speech, NOT the right not to be offended. Homosexuals have told me they have the right to teach my children about anal intercourse, to take my sons camping in my absence, to teach my kids that God has no problem with homosexual acts. I find all of these statements patently offensive and wrong and I vehemently disagree with them, but I recognize their right to say them. You're confused about free speech. Once free speech is taken away, your ability to organize politically, your ability to refute the government's stand on something, your ability to stand for what you believe in is taken away. That's what's happening in Canada. That's tyranny.

122 posted on 02/13/2003 2:26:28 PM PST by yendu bwam
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