Where should the lines be drawn regarding freedom of speech?
Front page, LA Times, Jury rules against 10 Muslim students.
According to the story, the students disrupted the speech the University of Irvine had asked the Israeli ambassador, Michael Oren, to make. While we've all seen speakers shouted down were exceptions made due to ethnicity. If the disruptor's would have been, Irish for example, would they have been charged?
The real question should be: Does my right to freedom of speech allow me to take that same right away from another?
Curious as to your thoughts.
Dennis P2011-09-24T13:15:10Z
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Your freedom of speech has limits , like no yelling fire in a theatre. If somebody heckles the president during one of his speeches , they will be removed , no matter what ethnicity they are .There is a limit to all speech especially hate speech.. that is against the law.
I am Natasha's complete lack of surprise2011-09-24T21:42:30Z
Personally, I think the way the students acted was disrespectful. If I had wanted my voice heard I would have listened to Mr. Oren and then asked questions that I believe would express my position as well as understand Mr. Oren's. To disrupt and disrespect the address in such a way is an example of what I see on both sides, Israeli and Palestinian, an example of hate and dehumanization, and it is this cycle that keeps them all covered in blood and ineffectual in creating healthy environments for their children.
These are kids though, these are kids that don't understand the effects of their own actions (a trait I find prevalent in most people, including myself). They are acting through fear and anger and helping to perpetuate the very situation I'm sure they actually want resolved. They just can't see that yet. They think they have to fight against their "enemy", they don't understand that in fighting they are perpetuating the paradigm that allowed this to start to begin with. We should not use this to demonize the entire Muslim population of the school or of our nation.
If nothing else this leads me to believe we need to get together local forums in which people of various perspectives can come together and have their voices heard, reasonably, start teaching people how to have dialogue. This is a product of inadequate education.
I'm worried as to how this will be interpreted by most Americans. If we in the US are to remain consistent we will attribute the actions of 10 (who were convicted) people to the entire Muslim population. The truth is, those smart enough to understand the scope and effects of their actions are few and far between anywhere.
Your "freedom of speech" does NOT apply when you are on private property - it only applies to criticism of the government. Any University that deserves that title encourages debate, but rudeness and political grandstanding aren't, and shouldn't be, welcome. If I were the President of that school, I would take disciplinary actions against those students. That Israeli was there by invitation, and I don't imagine those students were forced to attend. A University is not supposed to be a political soapbox for students, they are there to learn, and you don't learn from a speech by talking or shouting the Speaker down. A lecturer is supposed to be treated with respect and courtesy, whether you agree or not.
The line should be drawn when the speech is fabricated, otherwise not. As an example a person does not have the right to yell FIRE in a crowded theater when there is no fire thereby possibly causing injury to others.
When it causes so much hate some go out and exercise that fatal hurt. Hence i blame those responsible for raising the people to harm or kill doctors and innocent people. I don't think their should be so much freedom.