freedom of speech is not a license to spew hatred and bigotry. it is the right to express your opinions in whatever forum is available to you. newspapers, tv and other media outlets are privately owned and it is their right under freedom of speech to deny access to anyone whose opinions they find unacceptable, there are always other avenues.

freedom of speech does not free you from the consequences of your actions. if you state opinions that are considered socially repugnant, you should expect to be judged by your words. though you may have the right to express your ignorance and prejudice, others have an equal right to call you a fool and treat you as such.

as for the confederate flag -

many historians seem to enjoy painting the civil war as a war against slavery, that's not the entire picture. it was a struggle between an industrial society and an agrarian one, between the progressive ideologies of the north and the longstanding traditions of the south. many see the stars and bars as a symbol traditional american values in the face of impersonal industrialization. those who see it as only a banner of slavery are usually attempting to further a political agenda or are blinded by political correctness to such an extent that they can only see the negative aspects of an opposing viewpoint.


all in all, freedom of speech is doing surprisingly well. with the advent of the internet, censorship becomes more and more difficult and information flow increases daily (not necessarily a good thing at times). when google starts deleting politically incorrect websites from its lists you might start getting a little concerned though.
delusionsofNORMALity Reviewed by delusionsofNORMALity on . Does freedom of speech still exist? Recently, there have been a few incidents where freedom of speech has been put into question. Tim Hardaway's view on gays in the NBA is one of them. Yes, he was out of line about what he said and yes it's the NBAs right to fine him as his employer. But should he be viewed any less because of what he said? It is his rights as an American citizen to say his views on gays publicly, and now he is viewed as a gay hating jerk, even though his opinion are shared by the majority. Another Rating: 5