Political correctness has gone WAY too far.... (legal, soldier, racist)

[Trabbz]

Can't we still have free speech without disrespecting others race, sexual orientation, gender and so on...?

But on the other hand, isn't disrepecting others race, sexual orientation and gender protected by free speech?

I am so confused I can't see straight anymore.

Where is this country headed? I am curious what other people have to say about this issue.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by Trabbz

Can't we still have free speech without disrespecting others race, sexual orientation, gender and so on...?

But on the other hand, isn't disrepecting others race, sexual orientation and gender protected by free speech?

I am so confused I can't see straight anymore.

Where is this country headed? I am curious what other people have to say about this issue.

Yes it is protected. You can, if you want, dress up in a white sheet and walk through Harlem and yell "ni**er" all you want. You can dress up in a Nazi uniform and march through a community full of Jewish Halocaust survivors. You can go to the sidewalk in front of the sacred ground of Arlington Cemetary and spit on and burn an American flag. You can picket the funeral of a soldier. In short, you have all the rights you want to make a complete ass of yourself in a public place and I fully 100% support your right to do so.
But when you bring it into the workplace or my kid's classroom, don't be surprised at what may happen to you. That is where your rights end and ours begin.

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by KevK

Yes it is protected. You can, if you want, dress up in a white sheet and walk through Harlem and yell "ni**er" all you want. You can dress up in a Nazi uniform and march through a community full of Jewish Halocaust survivors. You can go to the sidewalk in front of the sacred ground of Arlington Cemetary and spit on and burn an American flag. You can picket the funeral of a soldier. In short, you have all the rights you want to make a complete ass of yourself in a public place and I fully 100% support your right to do so.
But when you bring it into the workplace or my kid's classroom, don't be surprised at what may happen to you. That is where your rights end and ours begin.

Yes but more specifically there is a huge epidemic in this country going on where you cannot say virtually anything without affending someone. Then the offended people take it to the extreme by quickly accusing that person of being racist, sexist, homophobic ect without getting the facts which further divides us as a nation.

[Trabbz]

For example.... how could a network legally pull "Dog The Bounty Hunter" off the air for legal language used in his home? I say this even though I STRONGLY disagree with his statements. Its not about race at this point. It is about a much bigger issue, freedom of speech.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by Trabbz

For example.... how could a network legally pull "Dog The Bounty Hunter" off the air for legal language used in his home? I say this even though I STRONGLY disagree with his statements. Its not about race at this point. It is about a much bigger issue, freedom of speech.

It is a private business with which he had a contract with that has a "public morals" clause that states that he will not act or say things that bring embarassment to his employer. Such things are common. We had a female DJ at a rap station here that was stopped and arrested for having no license and possession of marijuana. She was fired for the same reason and she is black.
Freedom of speech only protects you from GOVERNMENT. Not from private employers. It says the GOVERNMENT will not punish you. But you can bet your bottom line that, if I ran a business and one of my employees was shown burning a flag or at a neo Nazi rally, he would not be my employee come Monday morning.

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by KevK

It is a private business with which he had a contract with that has a "public morals" clause that states that he will not act or say things that bring embarassment to his employer. Such things are common. We had a female DJ at a rap station here that was stopped and arrested for having no license and possession of marijuana. She was fired for the same reason and she is black.
Freedom of speech only protects you from GOVERNMENT. Not from private employers. It says the GOVERNMENT will not punish you. But you can bet your bottom line that, if I ran a business and one of my employees was shown burning a flag or at a neo Nazi rally, he would not be my employee come Monday morning.

Yes but what are "public morals"? Does that include when someone secretly records the conversation and releases it to the media?

[teatime]

In the past six months, I've seen demands for Santa Claus to be skinny so as not to let little children think that being "fat" is OK.And the "Cookie Monster" has been asked to push fruit and veggies; otherwise, children will be unduly influenced to eat nothing but cookies! My goodness, I grew up with a fat Santa and a cookie-chomping monster but somehow I've never become fat nor lived solely on cookies. Imagine that!

Yes, the PC-ness has become absolutely ridiculous and intrusive. It comes from the notion that people are naturally stupid, insensitive, and downright nasty so they need threats, lawsuits, and constant minding to be tolerable.

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by KevK

Yes it is protected. You can, if you want, dress up in a white sheet and walk through Harlem and yell "ni**er" all you want. You can dress up in a Nazi uniform and march through a community full of Jewish Halocaust survivors. You can go to the sidewalk in front of the sacred ground of Arlington Cemetary and spit on and burn an American flag. You can picket the funeral of a soldier. In short, you have all the rights you want to make a complete ass of yourself in a public place and I fully 100% support your right to do so.
But when you bring it into the workplace or my kid's classroom, don't be surprised at what may happen to you. That is where your rights end and ours begin.

Let me get this straight...you're suggesting I could drive my huge, mud-splattered SUV.....complete with an American flag on the antenna... with "America- Love it or Leave it" and "Bush / Cheney" and "USMC..Semper Fi"...bumperstickers....loudly blaring musical selections from "The Charley Daniels Band" from my loud speaker, with the carcass of a freshly-killed deer tied across my hood....and I could then turn down the main street of Berkeley, California,....and that I "ought" to be able to do this, and that nobody "should" bother me?

Are you SURE I'd be OK?......I don't know.....hmmmm

[teatime]

Originally Posted by macmeal

Let me get this straight...you're suggesting I could drive my huge, mud-splattered SUV.....complete with an American flag on the antenna... with "America- Love it or Leave it" and "Bush / Cheney" and "USMC..Semper Fi"...bumperstickers....loudly blaring musical selections from "The Charley Daniels Band" from my loud speaker, with the carcass of a freshly-killed deer tied across my hood....and I could then turn down the main street of Berkeley, California,....and that I "ought" to be able to do this, and that nobody "should" bother me?

Are you SURE I'd be OK?......I don't know.....hmmmm

Heh, your post reminded me of a TV show I enjoy on BBC America. Anyone else a fan of "Top Gear"?

Anyhoo, the lads came to America, bought inexpensive cars and drove through the deep South. Heh, at one point, they decided to "dress up" their cars with slogans and such painted on them, such as "Country music sucks" and "I'm bisexual" painted in pink, to see what would happen. Uh, let's just say they had quite a following! They were truly afraid they weren't going to make it out of town without being killed or seriously injured.

[lilypad]

Well, the military is not welcome near Berkeley, so doubt a patriotic Charlie Daniels wannabe would be either!!