A response to Don Imus' comment

[jimk]

No offense, David W, but freedom of speech does allow you to make racist comments. We would have very few comedians, writers, singers, or artists if we were not. Society decides the consequences.(Imus being an example)

By the way, racism does not have to be negative. Example: "I like Chinese people" or "Mexican people are hard workers" are both racist statements.

Freedom of speech does not include yelling "fire" in a theater, but it does include things which you or I may find distasteful.

 

[ammerman19]

No offense, David W, but freedom of speech does allow you to make racist comments. We would have very few comedians, writers, singers, or artists if we were not. Society decides the consequences.(Imus being an example)

By the way, racism does not have to be negative. Example: "I like Chinese people" or "Mexican people are hard workers" are both racist statements.

Freedom of speech does not include yelling "fire" in a theater, but it does include things which you or I may find distasteful.

good points

 

[kakojones]

I think that too many people here misunderstand the concept of ' freedom of speech'
Freedom of speech is not absolute, you can;t for instance shout 'fire' in a theater unless there atcually is a fire. You cannot make racists comments

You may be able to say whatever comes into your head but you are not free from the consequences of shooting your mouth off.
Slander or Libel someone and see how free your speech is then.

You can't yell fire in a crowded place...because it is a hazard, people would get injured or killed in the following stampede out of said place.

Libel and Slander....these are when you say/write something as fact when it is not fact and it causes harm to another. Calling someone a nappy headed ho is not libel or slander.

these things don't really matter and we've lost sight of what the article was about. Why wouldn't Imus use the word ho or his partner use jigaboo and wannabe (these are actually the teams in a Spike Lee movie)? These words are in a few rap songs that I've heard.

So white people can't do it? is that it? Chris Rock and others can make what ever joke they want and their audience is just as big if not bigger than ole' washed up Imus. It's not just the white racists that prolong these problems. It's the culture that also holds itself back. if you can't speak well about your own, why would anyone speak well about you.

If I called myself an idiot all my life, can I get pissed when you say it? I doubt it.

 

[redtailfool]

I was expecting this thread to be a positive discussion in racial equality in todays society but it just got ugly. On that note, this thread will now be closed.