Comments on: Regardless of frontiers http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2008/12/regardless-of-frontiers/ for free expression Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:09:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shatterface http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2008/12/regardless-of-frontiers/comment-page-1/#comment-945 Shatterface Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:36:02 +0000 http://www.indexoncensorship.org/?p=1038#comment-945 You could argue that the Pilgrim Fathers left Europe to flee free expression: they were a bunch of joyless bastards, all told. Still, I agree with Grayling's article: without freedom of expression there is no way to protect or extend other rights. I'd also add the freedom to interpret as well as the freedom to express: the right to interpret holy scriptures free of the dictates of church leaders was an important step towards secularism as interpretations based on metaphor undid literalism; likewise poaching meaning from popular culture (eg 'queering the canon') through dispropriation, irony and parody free from the copyright laws of capitalism or the puritanical dogmatism of the left which sees counter-revolution everywhere. You could argue that the Pilgrim Fathers left Europe to flee free expression: they were a bunch of joyless bastards, all told.

Still, I agree with Grayling’s article: without freedom of expression there is no way to protect or extend other rights.

I’d also add the freedom to interpret as well as the freedom to express: the right to interpret holy scriptures free of the dictates of church leaders was an important step towards secularism as interpretations based on metaphor undid literalism; likewise poaching meaning from popular culture (eg ‘queering the canon’) through dispropriation, irony and parody free from the copyright laws of capitalism or the puritanical dogmatism of the left which sees counter-revolution everywhere.

]]> By: James http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2008/12/regardless-of-frontiers/comment-page-1/#comment-932 James Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:17:19 +0000 http://www.indexoncensorship.org/?p=1038#comment-932 So-called 'hate speech' laws are crude censorship measures wrapped up in an emotionally loaded package. Whom do they protect, exactly? Who's the 'victim'? When was the last time anyone complained of being 'incited to hatred'? There should be no 'hate speech' laws whatsoever, no matter the target, because they're not about stopping hate at all. They're about intimidating and bullying the politically incorrect. And what happens when a factual statement is seen as inciting hatred? Do we protect the liars and imprison the honest? Freedom of speech can be frightening and dangerous, but that's how freedom works sometimes. The alternative is always far more sinister. When was the last time you heard of someone fleeing a country for having 'too much' freedom of speech? So-called ‘hate speech’ laws are crude censorship measures wrapped up in an emotionally loaded package. Whom do they protect, exactly? Who’s the ‘victim’? When was the last time anyone complained of being ‘incited to hatred’?

There should be no ‘hate speech’ laws whatsoever, no matter the target, because they’re not about stopping hate at all. They’re about intimidating and bullying the politically incorrect.

And what happens when a factual statement is seen as inciting hatred? Do we protect the liars and imprison the honest?

Freedom of speech can be frightening and dangerous, but that’s how freedom works sometimes. The alternative is always far more sinister. When was the last time you heard of someone fleeing a country for having ‘too much’ freedom of speech?

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