(June 17, 2016 at 1:40 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:(June 17, 2016 at 1:02 am)Cecelia Wrote: You have a right to be an idiot. You also have a right to say idiotic things. And we have a right to call you an idiot, and tell other people to ignore you because you're an idiot. You don't get to say something, and then be free from criticism. That's a freedom nobody has.
That's right: no one has the right to be free of offense.
Life's tough. Tighten the chinstrap on your helmet, and cry to your mom, not me.
Lets make a distinction here. Offensive speech is protected as it should be, but the law does draw the line at calls to violence and acts of violence, that is not protected speech.
Hate groups have had their members arrested and charged with incitement to violence and the group sued in the past, but those are always case by case court issues, and never black and white federal law.
Westboro Batshitnuts Church, for example isn't breaking the law by protesting funerals. But on the other hand I astounds me that the asshole who introduced Ted Cruz during his run said about God and gays "they shall be put to death", I don't see how that flies simply by hiding behind what you think your god said. "I hate gays" is legal, even "Gays will burn in hell" also legal, very vile as it may be, only skirts the line but "technically" doesn't cross it. But I do think it crosses the line when any religious follower says "My god said you should be put to death". To me, that is no longer an opinion but an incitement to violence.
But, when it comes to politicians, it is more an issue of responsibility more than legality. Trump is a politician, and his scapegoating and demagoguery his lawyers may claim is legal, but from a personal responsibility as a person in office it cannot be called moral at all.
