Free speech lets you do this!

You guys just love to think you have some kind of moral high ground when it comes to concepts like free speech. Unbelievably arrogant.

I believe it is actually folks on the right who posture as morally superior on the free speech issue.

They act as if any organization not willing to extend a platform to odious viewpoints, such as white nationalist folks carrying swastikas, turns that organization into the true “speech tyrants”

In reality, private organizations and channels do not owe a platform to any particular person or any viewpoint. That includes TV channels, radio channels, and internet sites like ImgFlip, Twitter, and Facebook — although there is an argument that the largest sites and social media platforms are better thought of as public fora.

But most of the time, saying that Person A should be compelled to platform Person B’s viewpoint is actually tantamount to trampling on Person A’s First Amendment rights.

Despite all the contentiousness over “free speech,” very very few people out there are actually being silenced. Just told to take their opinions elsewhere. Which has been going on for a very long time, long before SJWs existed.

The issue that gets lost in the shuffle, in my opinion, is the importance of *quality* speech and respect. And speaking out against bigotry is a part of that.

"I believe it is actually folks on the right who posture as morally superior on the free speech issue."

Huh, are you on the right, now? Because your meme is 100% an attack on the right, from the left, regarding the left's moral superiority when it comes to free speech.

And you're actually trying to turn belief in free speech (a fundamental construct of which, is protection of all speech, no matter how repugnant) into being the same as support for white nationalists?!

You know KF89, you used to be able to at least make a point without falling into logical fallacies. I know I rarely agree with you, but you went about making your points intelligently. You've fallen off that wagon big time with this meme and this most recent reply.

And I do not need a lesson from you, KF89, about what's at the core of free speech. I'm not the one twisting suppression of free speech into being okay, based on a non-objective assessment of the speech's "quality" and level of "respect." I don't recall seeing those words in the first amendment.

I’m not sure what you’re objecting to honestly. Where have I said people don’t have the right to say what they think?

All I’m saying is that it’s tyrannical to hold that the First Amendment allows you to force others to platform your viewpoints, which seems to be the predominant interpretation advanced by the Right when they talk about free speech.

You also haven’t explained how the concept of “free speech” can be invoked to stop folks from calling other folks racist bigots (if that’s the way they feel) — if you are indeed objecting to that idea as expressed in my OP meme, which it appears you are

I‘ve sure been called a racist, exploiter of women, etc. a few times here by righties, so it’s not like the Right doesn’t use social justice language either when it suits their needs

And what do I do when called a racist or misogynist?

Well, I pretty much ignore it because I know they’re wrong

It’s not that hard!