I find it strange (Destiny)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Friday, August 21, 2015, 19:01 (3479 days ago) @ kidtsunami

To place free speech on so high a pedestal and to defend it like losing free speech would be robbing you of some power and then in the same breath say words shouldn't have power, they shouldn't affect you.

More later.

These words hold no power of me, but I've seen their power through history. I certainly am not entertained by, nor find funny, words that have been used to demonize someone like Alan Turing to the point of his chemical castration and death. So I won't force you or anyone to stop using a word, but I'm not going to participate in this community without pointing out that I find it an awful and ugly joke.

As is your right.

If not being able to make jokes like that, without people complaining, makes a forum about Destiny, a PC hell hole, then I'm really f'ing confused what this forum is actually about. I came to talk Destiny, not read bigoted jokes.

Assuming that's what they are. I'm not saying they aren't, nor do I think this forum is a place to freely share jokes that skirt that edge. That said, I know of other forums that would've banned Korny on the spot on the assumption that he is a bigot (and that is an assumption). I'm grateful we're not there yet (I think?).

To address your first point, maybe we're agreeing without realizing it. Words do have power and they matter, but should we give them the power to affect us so? In our culture right now the most powerful thing anyone can say is that they are offended. We reward that response, and therefore teach that it is valuable. (At the same time, constant repetition weakens the claim. Peter and the wolf, call the office!) There is much talk about the so-called limits of free speech but the problem with virtually any power to limit free speech is that it can be (and historically has been) used to shut down debates we don't want to have. Not cool, at least in a free society.

Kermit

P.S. You're in Raleigh. We should definitely have beer sometime. :)