re: #65 pharmmajor

If you’ll forgive me for posting this, Penn Jillette has a counterpoint for this argument:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CoLAbRKczo

Gillette is right- the problem isn’t the free speech. That said, there are crazies out there who will be influenced, on both sides of the political spectrum. PETA has inspired violent crime, as has ELF.

No one is saying that free speech needs to be curtailed. Still, free speech comes with a price. There are crazies out there who will go off. Some require more provocation, some less. We just can’t pretend that there are no consequences to what is being said.

Look at this way: Advertisers spend millions of dollars on 30 second ads to get you to change your behavior and buy their product. They’ve been doing that for generations. Imagine what listening to hours and hours of incessant hard line Righties/Lefties bent on changing your beliefs will do to some people.