Many, MANY people thought exactly the phrase "what a fucking dick" about civil rights leaders.
Yep, he has the right to have that sign. Alex has the right to think he's a fucking dick for it. That's the beauty of the first amendment, bud. As long as the people who criticize him for it don't physically harm him or try to interfere with his ability to state his views, they're also in the clear.
He has every right to have expressed his views. And he did. My post wasn't disagreeing with his actions - it was expressing my views on his actions. I thought that he was insensitive, disrespectful, and... like I said in the post... wrong-place-wrong-time.
It's something that bothered me, obviously. There's no bullshitting about that. When something bothers somebody - as you well know - one generally complains about it (via LJ or other means). I chose to express my frustration on LJ, and I have no regrets for it. If I thought that what Richard was doing was illegal or anything like that, I would have gone to Doug about it. But it's not. He has every right to wear the sign, and bless him for it. That being said... I felt like he overstepped the bounds of what is culturally acceptable by doing this in an inappropriate situation. Likewise, I hope that I'd respect typical boundaries... I wouldn't be a jerk at a wedding simply because I can't have one. Does that make sense? I don't know. I can explain more if you'd like.
Recently, like since somebody wrote the word "HOMO!" on marjorie's locker editorial, I have been thinking about the first amendment. In discussions with Marjorie, she has said that the 1st amendment allows basically anything, hate speech included (stupid libertarianism). I think that the commonly held idea is that as long as it doesn't restrict others, then you can say/do it. This to me is hypocritical because hate speech, by its definition, is used to "put people back in their place." This restricts people. It gives them two choices, allow those "haters" to push them around, or talk back, an uncomfortable situation that most people do not want to be in. I have tried to decide where the line should be drawn: is hate speech okay if its a joke? Is it okay if its disparaging you? It is entirely subjective. And I think that's where the government is going. They are going to create a subjective line, one that probably will be offending to one group or another. I can only hope that this line reflects all cultural differences, not just race
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The first amendment does not allow hate speech. Hate speech falls along the lines of a racial epitath, which is a crime. If the victim beats up the criminal he can be justified by a racial epitath, thats how serious it is.
Ahh, Ill be very conservative, succinct and REAL in addressing this discussion. So let me start out by saying that “Being offensive was not my intention”. The mere purpose was to express my First Amendment Rights, and speak my mind (or my sign rather) as an American citizen. Even if---which wasn't my intention-please respect my freedoms; those same freedoms that I’m sure you’re fighting for to be upheld. If I choose to be an asshole-which I’m not-It would be well within my rights as an American citizen . Realize that we have freedoms to do this--- which is why the KKK is a legal organization, it's a cowardly one, but they have the right to have rallys---this is truly what makes the country unique. Oh, and comparing this to wearing a KKK hood is preposterous---the two are clearly not parallel. And to get one thing clear I whole-heartedly believe that no one should be persecuded no matter what ethnicity or gender you are. Short and Sweet, I do not condone homosexuality nor do I castigate them. I will not say any more on my political
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Yep, he has the right to have that sign. Alex has the right to think he's a fucking dick for it. That's the beauty of the first amendment, bud. As long as the people who criticize him for it don't physically harm him or try to interfere with his ability to state his views, they're also in the clear.
-E
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It's something that bothered me, obviously. There's no bullshitting about that. When something bothers somebody - as you well know - one generally complains about it (via LJ or other means). I chose to express my frustration on LJ, and I have no regrets for it. If I thought that what Richard was doing was illegal or anything like that, I would have gone to Doug about it. But it's not. He has every right to wear the sign, and bless him for it. That being said... I felt like he overstepped the bounds of what is culturally acceptable by doing this in an inappropriate situation. Likewise, I hope that I'd respect typical boundaries... I wouldn't be a jerk at a wedding simply because I can't have one. Does that make sense? I don't know. I can explain more if you'd like.
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