Quoting myself from comments at The Munchkin Wrangler:
" Too many of the brave and the good have died for the rights of the loud-mouthed and fatheaded; it's time the yammerheads stepped up and put their lives, fortunes and sacred liberty where their mouths are."
Yeah, it's not selfless or noble but every time somebody quotes the old saw about "I may not agree with what you say but I'll defend to the death your right to say it," I get my back up and think of Patton reminding his troops that it was not their job to die for their country but to ensure that the bad guys did the dieing. If your notions are so darned fine, you go to the line for 'em.
Too often, the West provides a safe harbor for the vipers who bite us. Oh, I'm not sayin' to shut 'em down. I'm all for free speech but by golly, when witlings get themselves in hot water by speaking freely, it's not my responsibility to fish 'em out; and I don't have to listen to them rant, either. It's "free speech," not "captive audience" or even "free lecture hall and PA system."
Update
6 days ago
7 comments:
Free speech is like the RKBA...it carries with it great responsibility.
well meant and well said...and often the twain don't meet.
Just because you have the right to speak doesn't mean I'm obligated to listen to your drivel.
Geez, what twits!
*eyebrow*
Vipers and witlings?
Guess the beer's off then.
Mark, I think you're simply mistaken, perhaps in part due to distance from the culture; Senator Obama's stance on firearms, very much echoed by Nancy Pelosi, would make all of the US as much a playground for thugs as the UK has become -- or at least as much as Chicago is. This is the Last Good Place and they want to tear it down.
Having written about the self-defeating nature of defending to the death other's people's right to speak freely, rather than their right to defend their own position, I realized it had far wider and deeper application than a civil disagreement over a U. S. Presidential race.
If you choose to lump yourself in with Communists, Klansmen, Rev. Wright and racists of his ilk, Islamic Mad Bombers and similar riff-raff, that is your choice. I don't rank you with them, I just think you're wrong -- and that you are man enough and articulate enough to defend your position without me havin' to pledge my life to it. Or you pledging your life to defend my wild and scary notions either, for that matter.
I don't terribly mind dieing for my ideals as long as I don't sell it too cheaply; I'm not so much on dieing for the other person's.
I have not now, nor have I ever asked anyone for anything more than a sofa for a couple of weeks. I have not now, nor have I ever demanded that anyone do anything or give anything in my name.
I said that I would defend someone else's right with my life. And I told the truth. I did not ask a damned thing in return, nor would I ever.
Make of that what you will. See you down the road a piece.
I heard what you said and I disagree with your belief that it's a good idea. I'll happily defend the other guy's right to defend his notions -- but I, personally, won't die to defend his rights to express them.
You're free to make your own choices in such matters; for me, there's a lot of free speech I won't die (and thereby lose my own right to free speech, irrevokably) to defend. Sadly, most of it has plenty of defenders.
You are more idealistic than me. That's fine. You're not under attack here, you are just being disagreed with.
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