Freedom of Trash-Talk.
So there's this guy on my Facebook friend list who's really annoying. Classic fuckface behaviour. He makes uneducated hypotheses, calls everyone stupid (except himself, it's hilarious if it weren't so annoying), and makes all these really fucking stupid generalizations and arguments. Very offensive guy.
All of this on Facebook status updates.
I know, I can just easily delete him, and move on and stop complaining about how offensive (and stupid) he is. It would save me from seeing all his comments and just shut him up. He can exist somewhere else beyond my hearing (or my feed).
But then what about Freedom of Speech?
Does he not have the right to voice his own opinions, just as I fiercely defend mine? Would I not be stepping on his rights or freedom by deleting him, shutting him up?
Could I not give him his little FB space to stage his little rants and beliefs? I do not have to accept his views, but I must respect his right to have them and say them out loud. So what if they are hurtful comments? Is this not what Freedom of Speech is all about?
And so, when I post blog entries condemning him and his shallow, puny little fuckface brain, is that not my right, too? So what if it's hurting him?
This freedom is not without responsibility. We should not be brash with it, we should be careful about the things we say, we should not infringe on others' freedoms and rights. Everyone deserves their space, whether or not you hate them. Whatever you allow yourself, you should allow everyone else, including your enemies.
Right?
So no. He will remain on my Friend List. He will continue to piss me off royally. And I will continue to foam in the mouth with anger and write ranty blog entries about him and his ilk.
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All of this on Facebook status updates.
I know, I can just easily delete him, and move on and stop complaining about how offensive (and stupid) he is. It would save me from seeing all his comments and just shut him up. He can exist somewhere else beyond my hearing (or my feed).
But then what about Freedom of Speech?
Does he not have the right to voice his own opinions, just as I fiercely defend mine? Would I not be stepping on his rights or freedom by deleting him, shutting him up?
Could I not give him his little FB space to stage his little rants and beliefs? I do not have to accept his views, but I must respect his right to have them and say them out loud. So what if they are hurtful comments? Is this not what Freedom of Speech is all about?
And so, when I post blog entries condemning him and his shallow, puny little fuckface brain, is that not my right, too? So what if it's hurting him?
This freedom is not without responsibility. We should not be brash with it, we should be careful about the things we say, we should not infringe on others' freedoms and rights. Everyone deserves their space, whether or not you hate them. Whatever you allow yourself, you should allow everyone else, including your enemies.
Right?
So no. He will remain on my Friend List. He will continue to piss me off royally. And I will continue to foam in the mouth with anger and write ranty blog entries about him and his ilk.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (but famously attributed to Voltaire)
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whoooooo is it!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou own your FB feed in the same sense that you own your blog. If you don't want to see/read something there, you have every right not to see/read that thing. Yes, he is free to express his opinions, but that does not mean he has to do in your feed. Your feed is your space, and when you don't want someone to be there you are merely exercising your right of free speech. The internet, and the world, is a big place and he can go express his opinions somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with Ahmed comment above. Cutting him off your FB friend list is not like abridging his freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, and from what I understood from your post, you are more angry with his style in expressing his views, not with the views themselves even if they are against yours! and that’s a totally different story! Being rude, self centered, and using trashy language has nothing to do with freedom of speech, especially in discussions!!
Saad
i join Fif's plea. and u know u can block him from your feed, he'd still be on ur list so u wont be acting against your beliefs. you'd simply be ignoring him :)
ReplyDeleteMICKEY AND SOUMA:
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't know him, but knowing Jeddah and our tiny little circle, I'm sure you somehow do. ;)
I get what you guys are saying, and yes, I would be well within my rights if I ignored him and just deleted him from my feed, hell, from my life, period.
I know I don't have to respect his opinions or what he is saying, especially since they directly insult me. I'm sure I'm no better than him when I scurry into my little blogosphere comfort zone and rant about him and his stupidity to my blogger friends, because I am, in turn, insulting him.
But isn't it limiting when I shut people out for not being like me? If I keep waving people off because they contradict my beliefs, or my opinions, or because they don't like me?
Could I not co-exist with them, even when it's somewhere like FB?
And how about tolerance?
And am I really compromising myself and my own beliefs by keeping him in my Friend List? He's not really hurting me. He pisses me off, yes, and he says hurtful things, and wow his stupidity, his ignorance is so... raw. Haha.
Bottom line is, I'm very careful that I give people their space, because I demand it for myself, and I don't care if people don't like my opinions or agree with them, just as I am with other people.
Am I being "open-minded" here at my own expense?
it's his right to say whatever he want and the other's rights to just ignore it or stop reading and listening to him. It's freedom of speech and you are still protecting it and practice it. So it's nothing.
ReplyDeleteit will always be " it's their right to say whatever they want , and my right not to hear/read it "
I'm not on FB, so it ain't me *phew*
ReplyDeleteFreedom of speech. What are the limits? Yes, we have to carefully tread around this one.
This lil subject you address, actually exists everywhere boo. I blv it comes with learning how much to "give of yourself" to people.
I specifically mean a limit. This limit takes people forever to figure out. Some people do, some don't. Such is life.
You also have the whining, nagging ones that wana die. Not that I don't care. I'd care if they seriously did commit some morbid act- however, prior to that- I blv everyone's got their own problems.
In todays era of online whatever, the same thing goes. It's jus like gossip and drama from back in the day. Only this time, it's virtual.
(sorry I'm thinkin Knots Landing and Dallas lmao)
ARE there limits to what we can say in terms of Freedom of Speech? That's not much of a Freedom, is it?
ReplyDeleteCan I be your Facebook friend so I can post illiterate and inflammatory comments on your wall? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy two cents' worth:
ReplyDeleteIf he (in)directly insults you, then he's going overboard on his right to express himself. In a way that's harassment, and you have every right not to be subjected to this. If his views oppose yours, then he doesn't need to bash you or anyone for that, especially if you're not the one starting it.
Freedom of Speech, to me is more of the freedom to express one's ideas in such a way that while he gets to express himself, he does not offend others.
WAFA':
ReplyDeleteMakes perfect sense. :)
AMJ1981:
Haha, trust me, you don't want to be. I trash-talk people on my FB. :P
CORALBEAD:
I see what you mean, and I tend to agree. However, if we go by that, we would be restricting ourselves. Whatever we say will be offensive to at least one other person. No?
I think you just have as much right to cut him off as his right of speech :)
ReplyDeleteEi, o sii raken anan miyanggolaola na miyathay aken on bo a miya-delete. I wouldn't be depriving him to exercise his right to freedom of speech because he is free to do so and I also have the freedom to choose whose status updates I read and don't read. Kenaba khada-i sa venue to express his own opinion ka he will always have his wall naman. O gani bo a pekhakowa ko oman makaog na, ei, saken i pethabanen niyan. Phakakabalaga pen a kaphatay aken na ron on khisabap. Hehe:)
ReplyDeleteHmm. You all are right, actually. I think I may have made a mistake here. I didn't really mean Freedom of Speech is what I want to practice in this situation. It's Tolerance that I want to enforce.
ReplyDeleteBabyPink is right in that I am not shutting him up, nor am I taking away his "stage", for he will always talk, and he will always have a stage, just not within my earshot.
But I'd like to try and test my tolerance. He is still on my friend list, btw. And I have learned not to react too violently to his stupidity.
Ah, nah, good luck reka, Pade-drug! Giyanan i kiyapakabilib aken reka. Phangnin ta a ba ko seka den masowa. Allahumma ameen. :)
ReplyDeleteEi, giyoto bes a sentence aken a Inglis sa poro na dapat oto na "I wouldn't be depriving him his right to freedom of speech..." Di niyan sompat angkoto a "to practice". Kay komiyasoy ako saya imanto ka an aken mailay o miyakasembag ka na biyatiya aken mambo zaroman so comment aken na apiya saken na miyabereg ao! Haha! Pasensiya na ka makaiilek ako peman oto ko gagawii. :)