I find it very important to speak your mind. I am from the U.S.A. and while not everybody on this board is from the U.S.A. in my country you're allowed to speak your mind because we've got the 1st amendment, and from what I know in most other countries you can speak your mind too. Anyway, people need to say what's on their mind, or at least I do, because that's much better than keeping stuff bottled up. I express myself.
Speak your mind
- Thread starter PhotonGuy
- Start date
It's possible to speak your mind, and still have some tact. Lots of people I come across don't seem to get this.
Incidentally -- the First Amendment only applies to the government's actions against the citizen. It doesn't give you an unconditional right to express yourself however you want, wherever you want, in front of whomever you want...
Incidentally -- the First Amendment only applies to the government's actions against the citizen. It doesn't give you an unconditional right to express yourself however you want, wherever you want, in front of whomever you want...
donald1
Senior Master
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Afcoarse speaking your mind is expressing your opinion, if someone doesn't like it they can get over it.
Jks9199 does have point there, if someone could do express your self any way you want anywhere you want than it would be very problematic
Jks9199 does have point there, if someone could do express your self any way you want anywhere you want than it would be very problematic
As long as you keep it within limits, you get to speak your mind; however, if you happen to have a "Manson" mind we throw you in jail, and you might never see the light of day. Now, good day.
wingchun100
Senior Master
I believe in this too, although I think there is such a thing as having tact about it too. Your rights end when you infringe upon the rights of others. One of those rights is "the pursuit of happiness," so if your words make someone unhappy...
Example: I know this guy (he is a friend of a friend) who turned out to be a racist. My daughters have a black mother. He started spewing some racial comments around me (without knowing about my daughters). I took him aside and said, "Hey, you want to talk about that stuff? Fine, talk about it with people who share your views. I'm not trying to change anyone's way of life, because I know I can't. But while you're around me, change the subject. There are plenty of other things to talk about."
Naturally he INCREASED the amount of racial slurs in his conversation, so I left.
Example: I know this guy (he is a friend of a friend) who turned out to be a racist. My daughters have a black mother. He started spewing some racial comments around me (without knowing about my daughters). I took him aside and said, "Hey, you want to talk about that stuff? Fine, talk about it with people who share your views. I'm not trying to change anyone's way of life, because I know I can't. But while you're around me, change the subject. There are plenty of other things to talk about."
Naturally he INCREASED the amount of racial slurs in his conversation, so I left.
- Thread Starter
- #6
People can censor what they want in their own homes or on their property but the government cannot censor stuff. So the First Amendment might not apply to privately owned places but it does apply to public places. An example would be movies. Contrary to what some people think, it is not against the law for people under 17 to watch R movies or NC17 movies and to make such a law would be unconstitutional since the government cannot censor. Theaters as privately owned businesses however can censor and for that reason some theaters wont let people under 17 in to such movies.
- Thread Starter
- #7
As long as you keep it within limits, you get to speak your mind; however, if you happen to have a "Manson" mind we throw you in jail, and you might never see the light of day. Now, good day.
And what do you mean by a "Manson" mind?
ks - learning to fly
Senior Master
...he obviously never heard the phrase, 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'.. I found this quote that expresses how I feel and I hope you know
'this guy's' views would not be welcome in my presence nor in my family's..
"In a society in which equality is a fact, not merely a word, words of racial or sexual assault and humiliation will be nonsense syllables."
wingchun100
Senior Master
Sadly, there are a LOT of people who don't follow that saying.
And what is this pop-up I just got about my message being too short? Sometimes on the Meet and Greet board, I will say nothing more than "Welcome to MT" and I have NEVER gotten that warning before.
- Thread Starter
- #10
You had the right to leave. If this occurred in your house or on your property than you would have the right to tell him to stop or to throw him out. As much as I am against racism the fact of the matter is that in public places people do have freedom of speech. There are of course things that make other people unhappy that you can't do but using certain kinds of talk is not one of them, at least not in public places. Also, in the USA we've got laws just like all other countries, but if you disagree with a law you're allowed to say so and you're allowed to say how and why you disagree with it and you're allowed to protest against it. That's how our system works and that's how our country evolves.
wingchun100
Senior Master
Believe me, if I had been home, he would have been gone...and I would have been suspicious of my friend for bringing him to my house because this friend KNOWS about my daughters. But I was at my friend's house, therefore no power to throw anyone out.
Well, this guy got a bunch of kids together to tell them his plan to start a race war, and they tried it.
wingchun100
Senior Master
Well, this guy got a bunch of kids together to tell them his plan to start a race war, and they tried it.
Well, I guess according to the Constitution he had the right to TALK about that nonsense...but not the right to ACT on it.
I'm sorry but you are mistaken. He didn't act on it. His followers did, and now he is in Jail forever.
If your words insight other people to do violence, you are going to jail. If the people deem you too dangerous to be on the streets, you will be taken off that street. I don't care which country. LOL - Thread Starter
- #16
In that case your friend would be the one who could throw him out. You obviously don't tolerate such racist talk and I would hope your friend wouldn't either. However, if it was on the street that guy could say whatever he wanted and you would have no power to make him stop or to make him leave, not in a public place. If I was in that position, depending on the situation I might leave.
- Thread Starter
- #17
Yes he did. In this country you have the right to state your opinion but whether or not you can act on it would depend. Obviously Manson didn't have the right to act on his opinion and he was partially responsible but the kids who acted under him were also responsible for following what he said.
- Thread Starter
- #18
If you want to exercise that right that's your choice but from my experience, if you feel really strong about something its better to get it out and express yourself rather than keeping it bottled up inside, that's just not healthy.
wingchun100
Senior Master
And that is what I am saying: I was highly disappointed in this "friend" who knowingly had me around such a person AND did not get my back when he started saying such things. Apparently his loyalty is stronger toward the racist than toward me, therefore I haven't spoken to him since the event.
wingchun100
Senior Master
Oh exactly, they are ALL responsible. After all, it isn't like any of them could even argue the "brainwash" defense that Patty Hearst used.
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