Oh! You personally believe that? That's good. Do you also personally believe that yelling racial slurs at people is something different from "exercising your freedom of speech"?
Yes, I do believe that. Because I think that it is right-and-proper-and-correct-and-good - and it makes good sense. I also believe that giving anyone "special treatment" based
strictly on their skin color breaks the rule to which there is no exception. ( think: "the exception, not the rule" )
People are people. They are not animals. Of course, sometimes they
act like animals. And, people from all "ethnicities" / cultures do so at times.
As long as a person
acts within the reasonable bounds of civility, I see no reason why I should not treat them with the same civility.
I do not have anything against black people - or any other kind of people -
as individuals -
as long as they act in an honest and decent manner. I am
"prejudiced-as-h..." against a bad 'attitude'. ( Like, say - two people with a shotgun giving unnecessary grief to a random group of innocent people. )
But, you should never find me treating someone badly simply because of the color of their skin.
God made us all, and loves us all the same. In God's eyes, every person on this Earth is just as important as every other person. That is what my Bible tells me, anyway...
Please don't confuse the 'legal' and 'moral' implications, here.
When it comes to the
legality of "exercising your freedom of speech", saying racial slurs falls under it.
That is not to say that I believe that it is okay to do it. (
Now enters the 'moral' implication. )
What I am trying to get you to see is the difference between 'words' and 'action' - from a 'legal' perspective. The two are far from each other in terms of what the 'law' should punish for infractions involving the one versus the other.
Should there be a
spirit-of-the-law remedy for the severe abuse of such?
Sure.
Should there be a
letter-of-the-law "instant hard strike" against the most petty occurances of such?
Absolutely not...
After all, the best solution to a lot of these types of things is not a [ specific ] law to govern it -- but, that it should be "handled" - as a base-level first-step gesture, at least - by well-thinking individuals who can persuade the "would-be-perpetrators" to "back down" and change their minds about what they are setting out to do. In other words - in the scenario being discussed - all of us "conservative white guys on CC" saying to those two people "What in the world do you think you are doing?!?!? Leave those people alone!" and "We are not going to let you do this. It is wrong."...
The real problem these days is -- everyone wants "a law" to regulate every little nuance of any-and-every-possible-action -- so that "the police can handle it and we don't have to" -- which has to some extent become 'confusion' for everyone - no one knows whether to "get involved" or not any more...
It's sad...
You want "a law" to "strike down" instantly anyone who
utters a racial slur -- yet, you also want the man-on-the-street to "get involved" and prevent you from being raped out behind some building as the man who wants to rape you is about to succeed.
Do you not understand the 'legal' ( and 'social' ) conflict here?
Do you realize that people sometimes end up in jail ( or, experience "trouble with the law" ) for
trying to help other people?
Do you realize that people [ in the U.S.A. ] have been sued by other people who broke into their houses with the intent to steal - and the
other people
won the law suit...???
Do you know why this happens?
It happens because we - as a society - have been fooled into believing that we should give 100% of our responsibility as "good citizens" to look after and protect each other - to the police.
We have lost the idea that society - as a whole - should "self-regulate" without "a law" of some sort touching every little possible scenario of everyday life.
And, it has become incredibly ridiculous.
The "law" that
should govern is called
"common decency" -- and, everyone
used to know exactly what that meant.
About the time of
"Elvis has left the building." -- 'common-sense' started leaving too - understandably followed not long after by 'common-decency'.
(
I am speaking of this at a 'society' level; I know there are still some good decent people left in this country. )
When the people-at-large cease to believe that the people-at-large can-and-should handle 'minor' infractions of speech-related incidents...
"Lord help us!"
When the people-at-large cease to care anymore about common decency...
"Lord, just kill us all - we're no good to anybody."
Because few comments ago you weren't so sure and you were giving me lessons on the word "insult".
I am pretty sure about what I am talking about. What are you talking about?
Now, wsblind said this because, for some reason, he doesn't believe the couple had a shotgun. He believes it's an exageration of the media, bla, bla. But even if they didn't have a shot gun, you can't say that "in actuality they were exercising their freedom of speech" because yelling racial slurs and insults at others while driving cars with the confederate flag is not only offensive but also very scary and IT'S NOT FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!! And all of you here know that very good!
In a day when
things that are not even 'speech' are considered to be "freedom of speech" , ...
I think a lot of people really need a lesson about what "freedom of speech"
is and
is not. A history lesson about the confederate flag ( the
real history ) would be good, too. Some folks just might discover some things in our past that they have never heard of -- and, some things they were told and believe - that "never were"...
I don't think wsblind was intending to put across that he had no problem at all with what the two people were doing. I am more inclined to think that he was merely suggesting that he could certainly believe it if the real story were widely different than what was indicated in the article. His comments seem to be more "against" the media than the two people...
We know they are guilty because the article provides a video where the white woman cries and apologizes to the black woman for what she did. You wouldn't say you're sorry if you were innocent.
I have not seen that video. No doubt it is worth something to that effect.
I don't think anyone who has posted in this thread is saying that they believe "outright" that the two people are "most definitely entirely and completely innocent" -- only that, they wonder how much the media has twisted the story from the truth to make it follow their agenda.
Do not underestimate the extent of lies-in-the-media that some of us are trying to get you to understand is the true reality in this country.
It is a well-known
fact that - very often - 'stuff' is simply "made up" in the media stories...
Sometimes, you never know what to believe...
Have you ever heard the statement:
"Don't believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see."
Well --- it's good advice.
Don't misunderstand what I am saying. If two people, with a shotgun, were threatening a random group of people having an innocent party ---- then, by all means, yes -- someone - a neighbor - a passerby - the police - somebody - should intervene on behalf of the innocent. Especially children. Absolutely! I don't think anyone in this thread would disagree.
Notice that nowhere in my descriptions did I mention skin color. It does not matter what skin color the "assailants" have, nor their targets.
Those doing wrong should be stopped -- to protect the innocent.
However ---- what some of us are saying is -- if the 'law' is allowed to 'crucify' someone for the slightest 'infraction' of the law ( a letter-of-the-law mentality ) -- it will ultimately do more harm than good...
It is a fact!
Think about it...
I keep saying "legal perspective"; you keep saying "racial slur"...
You are standing in the forest staring
intensely at a single tree.
Back up until you can see the whole forest -- or, at least, more of it.
Someone could call me 'honky' all day long, and I don't really care that much about it one way or the other. You know - "consider the source" and move on. After all -- I am an adult who has a secure emotional stability that can handle some 'name-calling'... (
"words-only" )
But -- start waving a gun around (
"action" ) -- and, you have my attention...
Surely you agree that a threat from someone holding a gun pointed in your direction would be a much more serious issue than any 'racial slur' that they might speak.
Why then are you so "hung up" on the 'racial slur' part of this story ---- as if it was the "worst" crime committed...???