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Courage vs. Sense
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Read an article about the freedom of speech kontra personal security.
What's your opinion? Is the phrase "Courage is the prisoner of the sense" true? Justified?
Which is more important... And which factor should be concidered as more important... Courage/freedom of speech, or sense/personal security?
What's your opinion? Is the phrase "Courage is the prisoner of the sense" true? Justified?
Which is more important... And which factor should be concidered as more important... Courage/freedom of speech, or sense/personal security?
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freedom of speech or personal security I can sort of see...
Saying some things can hurt your security, like peopl eon here saying they take / sell drugs....
But if freedom of speech was absolute then there would not be the issue of comprimising your security...
So, i think i need more of an explanation.
please.
One of the primary limits to freedom of speech/expression is libel and slander legislation. In my mind, they should be the ONLY parameters to one speaking freely.
Lets say someone within a racist society/community thinking that this opinion could be wrong, but not telling due to personal safety. What's your opinion, in a situation like that?
What's most important? Which has a higher priority in your life? And not just idealistic, but also realistic.
And actually I view it differently, total freedom of speech (for everyone) does in many cases lead to a lack on security.
If a person living in a racist society spoke out against the attitudes of that community, how would they be physically harmed? If it were illegal to assualt others in that nation then that would logically protect a person from harm.
For example, if the BNP held a rally in my town, I'd still get arrested if I assaulted people because I didn't like their views.
I see it like this
Freedom of speech is a right granted by law. Whether people want to use that right, or not, its their choice.
If a person feels they cannot use that right due to it being "unsafe" I will bet the people that are making you feel unsafe would be acting outside the law.
Freedom of speech should protect you from sources of legal harm... The law cannot do a lot to protect you from non-legal harm.
I suppose its a matter of common sense...
An attractive women can wear as revealing and provocotive dress as she wish's, and no-one can do a thing within the law to stop her... However her common sense should tell her thats you really cannot walk through that part of town while wearing that dress (you may walk into that part... but prolly not out again).
Is this the sort of comprimise you mean?
Am i off on a wrong tangent?
If not let me know.
Do you think that just because something is illegal it will stop people from doing it? There will allways be people doing as they please.
And btw, taking up the case, and protection will probably only happen after the person in question has been harmed.
If you know you will be harmed, will you then speak up nonetheless?
And my question, converted into this specific example is. Should these people keep quiet as they know that someone will hurt them?
I mean, who knows to what degree?
Poke their eye out, beat the crap out of them, and send thmem into hospital for several weeks, while you get two months in prison, won't allways make their life brighter.
:thumb:
Even though that was a good example I was thinking of this in a more political sense. As in political views.
Sacrificing your beliefs, in order to stay intact.
Like a closet homosexual staying in the closet, or even ralying homophobic parts of society, because he's running for parliment?
A jewish sympathiser keeping quite in Nazi germany?
A person publically saying they think raping a woman when horney is like stealing bread when hungry? (sorry, couldn't help it)
I believe we should have the freedom of speech, but with that freedom comes responsibility to use it sensibly, and not in a way that hurts others, or hurts yourself.
Sometimes these situations are easy to see, sometimes you don't know what you are saying is going to land you in prison.
Malcom X tried to excersise his freedom of speech, but some-one decided he should be punished.
Whether he was punished or not he got his point home to the people... so maybe on a larger scale it does not matter
In the rascist community which you are uncomfortable with you are called on to harm a Jew or let a Jew be harmed, an action which goes against your beliefs, I think this is wrong.......
If on the other hand people just dislike Jews then there seems little point in speaking your mind and getting hurt if it does not reduce any other hurt.
The same can be said for general attitudes, the only point I can see in endangering yourself and your family is if you think that by speaking out you can actually change peoples views