Comments on: Issues about “free speech” http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/26/issues-about-free-speech/ Challenging the Zeitgeist Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:22 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: The Exterminator http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/26/issues-about-free-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-9201 The Exterminator Wed, 28 Nov 2007 03:36:00 +0000 http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/26/issues-about-free-speech/#comment-9201 Heather: You'd be surprised -- no, you probably wouldn't -- at the number of Americans who can't grasp the simple distinction you're making here between free speech and universal access to any forum imaginable. Just look at the number of people who whine about having their "free speech" taken away because they've been banned from some blog. Free speech simply means that the government has no right to tell you what you can and cannot say. I treat my own blog as a free-speech zone, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't delete a blatant advertisement for a product that's irrelevant to my theme. If I did that, the shill would <i>not</i> be deprived of his or her right to free speech because -- and I know this is hard to believe -- I'm <i>not</i> the government! And as far as your being invited to speak at the Oxford Union, the more fools they for ignoring you. Heather:
You’d be surprised — no, you probably wouldn’t — at the number of Americans who can’t grasp the simple distinction you’re making here between free speech and universal access to any forum imaginable. Just look at the number of people who whine about having their “free speech” taken away because they’ve been banned from some blog. Free speech simply means that the government has no right to tell you what you can and cannot say. I treat my own blog as a free-speech zone, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t delete a blatant advertisement for a product that’s irrelevant to my theme. If I did that, the shill would not be deprived of his or her right to free speech because — and I know this is hard to believe — I’m not the government!

And as far as your being invited to speak at the Oxford Union, the more fools they for ignoring you.

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