The americans like to hear themselves talk... generally speaking, of course.

Although... you do see this sort of crap in Oxford, UK

(July 18, 2013 at 5:16 pm)The Germans are coming Wrote: One thing, where does this weird thing come from!? This standing on a public space alone with a plackard and loudspeaker and annoying everyone else with whatever the fuck your opinions and beliefs may be. I never seen anything like that here but it seems to be very common in the US.

Because when your message is so stupid that you can't get people to stop and listen to you, you scream it in their face like an asshole, because you know what's best for them.

(July 18, 2013 at 5:26 pm)Faith No More Wrote: Because when your message is so stupid that you can't get people to stop and listen to you, you scream it in their face like an asshole, because you know what's best for them.

Where I come from, this kind of behavior would be considered to be "Arousal of negative public attention and disturbance of public peace" and is fined with up to 500 euros.















Failure to comply with the demanded fine will result in 40 years hard labor

We have this thing called the First Amendment to our Constitution which says that everyone has the right to make fools of themselves in public.

(July 18, 2013 at 5:36 pm)Doubting Thomas Wrote: We have this thing called the First Amendment to our Constitution which says that everyone has the right to make fools of themselves in public.

Where I live demonstarations on public spaces have to be announced and registered at the magistrate so the public peace isn`t disturbed.

And if you are planning to do something that is "not ok" you are often forbidden to do so.

Evangelical american fuckwit christians were forbidden to protest infront of an abortionklinik in germany some time ago because of the traumatising and stigmatising effect that could have for the women going there.

Some times I wish our courts saw free speech issues that way, but they tend to err on the side of protecting free speech rather than not allowing assholes to bother other people. That's why the WBC went all the way to the Supreme Court and won a case against laws not allowing demonstrations at military funerals. Free speech is good, but when you're abusing it to irritate other people, you shouldn't have the right to do that. Free speech is not absolute.

(July 18, 2013 at 5:40 pm)The Germans are coming Wrote:

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Where I live demonstarations on public spaces have to be announced and registered at the magistrate so the public peace isn`t disturbed.

And if you are planning to do something that is "not ok" you are often forbidden to do so.

Evangelical american fuckwit christians were forbidden to protest infront of an abortionklinik in germany some time ago because of the traumatising and stigmatising effect that could have for the women going there.

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I can’t say I support that sort of suppression of ideas; I thought Europe was supposed to be free thinking and tolerant. That little atheist in the video has every right to make a fool of himself, I’d never deny him that.

But would you allow a bunch of atheists to protest in front of your church?

(July 18, 2013 at 6:13 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: I can’t say I support that sort of suppression of ideas; I thought Europe was supposed to be free thinking and tolerant. That little atheist in the video has every right to make a fool of himself, I’d never deny him that.

It is not supression of Ideas when I am preventing public disturbance or any kind of harm which could be inflicted on others.

(July 18, 2013 at 6:26 pm)Doubting Thomas Wrote: But would you allow a bunch of atheists to protest in front of your church?

Absolutely.

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(July 18, 2013 at 6:31 pm)The Germans are coming Wrote: It is not supression of Ideas when I am preventing public disturbance or any kind of harm which could be inflicted on others.

Are you saying that in the 19th Century you wouldn’t have allowed people to protest slavery outside of plantations because it was disturbing the public and might cause emotional stress to the slave owners? Whenever Governments get involved in this sort of thing it always turns into, “ideas we agree wtih are proper protest and ideas we do not agree wtih are disturbing the peace.”