NationStates Jolt Archive

I just watched this (http://www.comedycentral.com/mp/play.php?reposid=/multimedia/tds/helms/helms_9007.html). Which was about a 'Free Speech Zone' in Boston (including to my surprise members of the Bl(a)ck Tea Society). Now I realise the comic nature of the link. But are there really 'Free Speech Zones' in the US? I thought the whole country was meant to be a free speech zone (with the free speech being protected by the Constitution). What is the need for it?

Sure there's free speech in America.. if you agree with what Bush is saying. Otherwise you're a "terrorist" and have no rights.

We have free-speech zone, bu they are not in the United states. There are three that I know of, one in Iraq, one in Afganistan and one in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Go there and you can say anything you damn well please, not that anybody will hear you....

the truly sad thing is that the government can get away with shit like this and almost nobody notices or cares about the blatant hypocrisy. but then again, we are talking about a government that has been consistently telling us that war is peace for decades, so maybe it isn't really all that surprising.

These "free-speech zones" are an abomination, in my opinion, and they do exist, created specifically for political events. They've come to the forefront under Bush because his security people have been the most assholish about enforcing them, but the Democrats are just as guilty of using them.

The idea is that you don't want people protesting you to get much in the way of news coverage, or to be able to disrupt your photo-ops, so you limit access to your event in the name of "security" and set up these protest zones or free speech zones far from the actual event. That way, the politicians involved never actually have to confront the protestors. It's gotten so bad under Bush that people who have managed to get inside events, even by paying for tickets, have been arrested for refusing to leave once their non-support for the President comes out. It happened to a couple in North Carolina just a couple of weeks ago--they were arrested for not leaving an event when all they were doing was wearing some anti-Bush t-shirts. The charges were later dropped.

But basically, free-speech zones are bullshit, and I encourage anyone who wants to protest, no matter who you're protesting, to do whatever you can to avoid them and get into the event you want to call out and raise whatever ruckus you can. It's the American and the patriotic thing to do.

Its true, the amount of apathy and intellectual laziness in the U.S. is amazing. A lot of people would rather believe the lies just because its easier than sorting through all the competing facts and claims.

Incertonia- HERE HERE! People need to not be afraid to cause a rukus, or to offend people. A lot of people in this country could use some offending, Limiting free speech to protect people from being offended is just as bad as any other limitations.

Speaker's Corner (http://www.travellondon.com/templates/attractions/gallery_Speakerscorner.html), Hyde Park, London, UK. :)

I'd say the free speech zone is wherever the fuck you want it to be.

Speaker's Corner (http://www.travellondon.com/templates/attractions/gallery_Speakerscorner.html), Hyde Park, London, UK. :)
I'm well aware of that. But I was asking about America, who has a longer history of free speech being (meant to be) allowed.

I'm well aware of that. But I was asking about America, who has a longer history of free speech being (meant to be) allowed.I obviously need to go drink... missed that bit completely. :s

Speaker's corner is Heaven on Earth. A place built for ranting!

But yes, Free Speech Zones are unconstitutional. I'll protest wherever the f*ck I want to, thank you very much.

And yes, the American people have given up on their own potential and become, with a few exceptions, philistines. People always say Liberals hate America- we don't. We hate what it has become.

If "freedom of speech" ever existed, it is long gone now.

Network broadcasters can be legally penalised because they allow someone to use language that some may consider offensive. Whatever happened to the idea you say what you like and "let the buyer beware".

Sure, I don't think stand-up comedians should be discussing penetration during kiddy-hour - but put it in a reasonable slot and it should be up to the consumer to decide whether to watch/listen or not.

So - basically, you can say what you like... so long as nobody hears.

I'm well aware of that. But I was asking about America, who has a longer history of free speech being (meant to be) allowed.

Good god, no. Free speech may be guaranteed by the US constitution, but it's been a serious tradition in the UK for a very, very long time. Compare the treatment of Emma Goldman in the US to that in the UK. Britain has long been far more tolerant of radical speech than most other countries, including the US. Hey, I'm Irish, there's many things about British history I'll condemn, but the freedom of speech in the UK is definitely something this country has to be proud of.

Vas.

If "freedom of speech" ever existed, it is long gone now.

Network broadcasters can be legally penalised because they allow someone to use language that some may consider offensive. Whatever happened to the idea you say what you like and "let the buyer beware".

Sure, I don't think stand-up comedians should be discussing penetration during kiddy-hour - but put it in a reasonable slot and it should be up to the consumer to decide whether to watch/listen or not.

So - basically, you can say what you like... so long as nobody hears.

but the problem lie within the fact it isnt the governments job to control what people say, which is illegal (but they try to do it anyway with the watch dog FCC but thats another matter) its the job of the parents to control what their kids hear

but of course americans are ignorant and hypocritical

the mothers and fathers of kids sit their kids in front of tvs and go off doing whatever and expect the tv to teach them good values or be good without regulating it, and they come back and bitch at the goverment because their kid saw something on tv they shouldnt when its their damned job to make sure their kids dont see it

Actually has never allowed unlimited Free Speech everywhere. It is for instance illegal and has always been illegal for a stranger to come into a person's bedroom at 2AM and preach at the top their lungs about how the person in the bed needs to be saved. Mind you, it has always been legal to somewhere be able to preach how the person in the bed needs to be saved, just not in their bedroom at 2AM. If you believe that Free Speech is an absolute and means you have to freedom to say whatever you want anyplace and anytime just post your adress and I'll see about having some folks from the Society of Krishna Consicousness come exercise their right to Free Speech in your bedroom.

The next question is whether or not Free Speech is an absolute in public areas, since we can probably all agree that my right to Free Speech does not include your bedroom. Leaving aside the tricky question of what consitutes a public area, I'll only adress those owned by the government and open and accessible to the public freely. I know this is a cop out, but whether or not a resturaunt is a public area or Free Speech prevails in a grand jury courtroom doesn't have much to do with the concept of Free Speech Zones. Plus, I get to avoid the arguments about the right to yell "movie" in a crowded firehouse.

So get to it, and argue about whether or not anti-abortionists should be allowed to picket on the sidewalks in front of hospitals, a man should be allowed to walk down a residential street at 2AM with a bullhorn telling everyone about how Ross Perot is really an alien, and one of my exs can follow me arround and tell anyone I'm dating what an awful person I am, and the KKK has the right to burn crosses on the sidewalks in front of black peoples' houses in an attempt to force them to move.

So get to it, and argue about whether or not anti-abortionists should be allowed to picket on the sidewalks in front of hospitals,

Yes, as long as they don't get in the way of people getting medical treatment, or attack doctors or anything, and the hospital isn't a hospital for the mentally ill where hearing people outside picketing puts them into a murderous rage.

a man should be allowed to walk down a residential street at 2AM with a bullhorn telling everyone about how Ross Perot is really an alien,

Nope, it's disturbing the peace - ie. stomping on other people's right to sleep at 2am. But if he did it with a sign on the street and without the bullhorn and told people he saw walking down the public sidewalk, no problem.

and one of my exs can follow me arround and tell anyone I'm dating what an awful person I am,

Hmmmmm, that's harrassment I think. It probably is legal, but if you go to court and get a peace order, then it would be illegal.

and the KKK has the right to burn crosses on the sidewalks in front of black peoples' houses in an attempt to force them to move.

Fire is dangerous, so no.

=)