Help me please! America, freedom of speech, is it still real?

SifuPhil said:
Which is somewhat sad, because all that says is that we've become successfully programmed ...

Good post.

And even if it wasn't, I wouldn't say so. :p
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Hey Mister Squat and Can't Get Up! Where's that resume, I can't wait for my lawn to be mowed forever!! LOL!! I hope you have your own Concubine as all I have is a weedeater!:giggle:
 

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS ALIVE AND WELL IN AMERICA !!!
THANK-GOD

PEOPLE MAY NOT APPROVE OF WHAT YOU SAY, THEY MIGHT HATE IT, BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY IT.

NOT SO MUCH OVER HERE IN THE UK

DEACONIAN LIBEL LAWS THAT BRING PEOPLE FROM ALLOVER THE WORLD

TO TRY TO HAVE THEIR CASES TRIED IN THE UK, BECAUSE THEY CAN GET SUCH

A GOOD DEAL ON ANTI- LIBEL CASES

SO PROUD OF SO MANY THINGS WE HAVE IN AMERICA..

WE'RE NOT PERFECT BUT WE ARE PRETTY GREAT !!!

AND DON'T FOR ONE MINUTE TAKE ANY OF OUR WODERFUL FREEDOMS FOR GRANTED...

AMERICANS HAVE DIED FOR US TO HAVE OUR FREEDOMS!!!


(oh no, the English are trotting on their way over to see me, to give me a good talking to no doubt,
about freedom of speech.
Whenever I disagree... they usually tell me to go back to where I've come from LOL)

Love them anyway !
 

Elyzabeth said:
FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS ALIVE AND WELL IN AMERICA !!!
THANK-GOD

PEOPLE MAY NOT APPROVE OF WHAT YOU SAY, THEY MIGHT HATE IT, BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY IT.

NOT SO MUCH OVER HERE IN THE UK

DEACONIAN LIBEL LAWS THAT BRING PEOPLE FROM ALLOVER THE WORLD

TO TRY TO HAVE THEIR CASES TRIED IN THE UK, BECAUSE THEY CAN GET SUCH

A GOOD DEAL ON ANTI- LIBEL CASES

SO PROUD OF SO MANY THINGS WE HAVE IN AMERICA..

WE'RE NOT PERFECT BUT WE ARE PRETTY GREAT !!!

AND DON'T FOR ONE MINUTE TAKE ANY OF OUR WODERFUL FREEDOMS FOR GRANTED...

AMERICANS HAVE DIED FOR US TO HAVE OUR FREEDOMS!!!


(oh no, the English are trotting on their way over to see me, to give me a good talking to no doubt,
about freedom of speech.
Whenever I disagree... they usually tell me to go back to where I've come from LOL)

Love them anyway !
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I bet you are loved there as well, but you'll always have a place to come home to.
 
Elyzabeth said:
(oh no, the English are trotting on their way over to see me, to give me a good talking to no doubt,
about freedom of speech.
Whenever I disagree... they usually tell me to go back to where I've come from LOL)
!
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Knock knock............


Elyzabeth I have lived in 2 other countries besides my own England but the one thing I have never done is to compare my host country with England or criticize my host country, for me to have done so I would have considered rude....ignorant.....and......insensitive...............and in case you are wondering I was nationalised in both of those countries but it still didn't give me cart blanche to criticize them or compare them.
 
OMG

What a total lack of a sense of humour !

It is true however, that as an American, we are taught to hold our Government to account,

whereas in the UK, criticism of the Government is seen as a smear upon the government, and considered to be very rude..????
 
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Dame Warrigal said:
My opinion is that people don't understand what freedom of speech means.

Having a right to free speech means that one can voice an opinion about the most important person in the land, in print or out loud in a public place without risking a charge of treason or similar.

Not having any right to free speech means that one dares not voice an opinion of the most important person in the land, even in private amongst friends, for fear of a visit from the secret police, after which one disappears into some distant gulag or unmarked grave.

Freedom of speech does not confer licence to defame, slander or libel a person(s), nor does it allow racial vilification or incitement to violence to a person or racial/ethnic group. It does not allow you to deceive people and fleece them of their money by telling lies or other forms of misrepresentation. As in all things, freedom is not limitless.

Freedom of speech does not entitle you to abuse someone on public transport because you don't like the colour of their skin or the way they dress. Nor does it allow you to stalk someone along the street, ridiculing them or verbally harassing them. Citizens have a right to be protected from this kind of behaviour.

To understand how this freedom works, we must imagine ourselves on the delivery and the receiving end of the speech. I think the "Do unto others..." principle should be applied. If it is very important that we speak out, then we should do it with equal measures of courage and respect.
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Well and thoughtfully put, Dame Warrigal. I have never understood why some people think that "freedom of speech" means freedom to express bigotry, hatred, intolerance, or approval of violence against others. We are all on this earth together.
 
I am free to criticize the UK government and do so often. And I'm American and became a naturalised UK citizen in 2007. I can vote in the UK so why wouldn't I have a right to criticize the government? Maybe it's different in England, but no one has told me to go back where I came from. And there are plenty of English who live here in Scotland.
 
It's not different in England Annie...it's the same wherever you go...people are people , rude folks are wherever anyone is unfortunate to encounter them.

I had a fellow Scotsman actually call me a ' traitor ' he spat it out with venom ...my crime was to be living in England and not my home country...

...and incidentally .....Elyzabeth it's not considered *rude* to criticise the government in the Uk....Good grief it's almost a national Pastime
 
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hollydolly said:
It's not different in England Annie...it's the same wherever you go...people are people , rude folks are wherever anyone is unfortunate to encounter them.

I had a fellow Scotsman actually call me a ' traitor ' he spat it out with venom ...my crime was to be living in England and not my home country...

...and incidentally .....Elyzabeth it's not considered *rude* to criticise the government in the Uk....Good grief it's almost a national Pastime
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I didn't think it would be different, although of all the American expats I've known, the one's who were the least happy were the ones who lived in or around London. The happiest were those in Scotland. Not a scientific sampling though.

You already know that my husband lived in London for 18 years. If anyone said that to him he just would have brushed it off as he doesn't take things personally.

A few times when I've asked a Scot if they'd been to London, I'd get a heated NO, why would I want to go there? Their loss.

We all know about the rivalry between Scotland and England regarding sports, and sometimes that goes too far. Quite a few English have been shocked to find that during the world cup, Scots will cheer for whoever is playing against England.
 
No Annie you misunderstand if an Englishman had said it to me I would have brushed it off as just ignorance in the same way I've seen the sometimes deep resentment towards the English by the scots ..everyone knows there's always been historic rivalry between the 2 countries, ...however what smarted most was the fact that this was a fellow countrymen ( a businessman) saying this to me....here in an office in London. Both of us here on business.. and when on recognising his Glasgow accent .., I struck up a conversation saying that I too was from Glasgow and how much of a pleasure it was to hear a 'friendly' voice and how I missed hearing the accent ..but that I had moved here as a teenager so most of my Brogue had gone...he was very abusive, and spat out the word 'traitor' before turning on his heel and walking away. No , it wasn't water off a ducks back , I was stunned, and have never forgotten that this was one of my 'own people'.
 
hollydolly said:
No Annie you misunderstand if an Englishman had said it to me I would have brushed it off as just ignorance in the same way I've seen the sometimes deep resentment towards the English by the scots ..everyone knows there's always been historic rivalry between the 2 countries, ...however what smarted most was the fact that this was a fellow countrymen ( a businessman) saying this to me....here in an office in London. Both of us here on business.. and when on recognising his Glasgow accent .., I struck up a conversation saying that I too was from Glasgow and how much of a pleasure it was to hear a 'friendly' voice and how I missed hearing the accent ..but that I had moved here as a teenager so most of my Brogue had gone...he was very abusive, and spat out the word 'traitor' before turning on his heel and walking away. No , it wasn't water off a ducks back , I was stunned, and have never forgotten that this was one of my 'own people'.
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No, I understood it was a Scot. I meant my husband is excellent at letting ignorant comments roll off his back, even if a fellow Scot.
 
"Well and thoughtfully put, Dame Warrigal. I have never understood why some people think that "freedom of speech" means freedom to express bigotry, hatred, intolerance, or approval of violence against others. We are all on this earth together"

Actually freedom of speech means that we can say all of the above.
That is why it is called Freedom of Speech.
people are allowed to say things which other people might find very distasteful.
 
Dame Warrigal said:
My opinion is that people don't understand what freedom of speech means.

Having a right to free speech means that one can voice an opinion about the most important person in the land, in print or out loud in a public place without risking a charge of treason or similar.

Not having any right to free speech means that one dares not voice an opinion of the most important person in the land, even in private amongst friends, for fear of a visit from the secret police, after which one disappears into some distant gulag or unmarked grave.

Freedom of speech does not confer licence to defame, slander or libel a person(s), nor does it allow racial vilification or incitement to violence to a person or racial/ethnic group. It does not allow you to deceive people and fleece them of their money by telling lies or other forms of misrepresentation. As in all things, freedom is not limitless.

Freedom of speech does not entitle you to abuse someone on public transport because you don't like the colour of their skin or the way they dress. Nor does it allow you to stalk someone along the street, ridiculing them or verbally harassing them. Citizens have a right to be protected from this kind of behaviour.

To understand how this freedom works, we must imagine ourselves on the delivery and the receiving end of the speech. I think the "Do unto others..." principle should be applied. If it is very important that we speak out, then we should do it with equal measures of courage and respect.
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I agree with all of this except one line. Sadly, in the United States a salesman has a legal right to lie about his product or terms in order to make a sale.
 
rkunsaw said:
I agree with all of this except one line. Sadly, in the United States a salesman has a legal right to lie about his product or terms in order to make a sale.
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Welll OF COURSE they do!! We wouldn't want to put any "job Killing" regulations on them would we? Let the free market reign...let the buyer beware.. and while we are at it? How about getting rid of the FDA or any other regulatory group?
 
rkunsaw said:
Sadly, in the United States a salesman has a legal right to lie about his product or terms in order to make a sale.
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And the smart consumer can educate themselves. We've always had snake oil salesmen around-it's nothing new. But now, especially with the Internet, research is very easy and it's rare that someone has to deal with a salesperson. Caveat emptor.
 
DoItMyself said:
And the smart consumer can educate themselves. We've always had snake oil salesmen around-it's nothing new. But now, especially with the Internet, research is very easy and it's rare that someone has to deal with a salesperson. Caveat emptor.
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We deal with salespeople every day, whether in person, on the phone or online. Everything you see on the internet may not be true. You can do a lot of research and get a lot of different opinions.

This thread is about freedom of speech. I was merely pointing out that salesmen have the freedom to lie.
 
rkunsaw said:
I agree with all of this except one line. Sadly, in the United States a salesman has a legal right to lie about his product or terms in order to make a sale.
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I really doubt that there is a law on the books stating that.

In fact, I would think it would be prosecuted as willful misrepresentation.
 

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