[freelotus]

i think a lot of people confuse freedom of speech with freedom from others' reactions to their speech. if you want to say hateful things, you can. and then other people will tell (or show) you they don't like what you're saying - or you.

and depending on what was said and in what context, there may be consequences beyond the purely social.

some things definitely are creeping in the too far direction these days as social censure overlaps more with legalities, but a lot of people are also making themselves out to be pitiful by demanding 'rights' to be hateful twats. why? why want to be one? it's the nonsense of the personality disordered.

less people are fooled by the free speech claims of the hateful these days. whether or not there's an actual free speech legal issue in play, people can still see them for what they are. usually by the tell tale sign that they don't want free speech for everyone either, just themselves or their group. that's bothering some these days a lot more than the erosion of, say, dissenting speech. they sense some shoes are being put on other feet and they are just now realising (cos they lack empathy) how much it sucks. now they are angry, scared, and offended, like other groups used to be or still are.

these types (not that they care) do the people who defend free speech on principle no favours, cos they keep having to defend the narcissistic jackasses first. it's a distraction. defenders get tarred with the same brush as the offensive and hateful, just for defending the principle - as though they agree with their views - and end up having to waste time defending themselves first. it drags out the whole process.

this is a very old issue (where the boundaries should be), maybe going back to since speech began, but people defending hate speech instead of dissent is probably not the best or most efficient approach. it's just as antisocial as trying to defend lying or abuse under 'free speech' would be. and just as much of a nonstarter as trying to ban swearing. (most people like swearing. most people don't like hatred, lying, and abusiveness.) so, not sure why hate speech still the fallback example of unpopular speech to protect so all of society doesn't slide down the slippery slope... it's weird. and probably counterproductive.