Any thoughts on this cartoon and my comments? This conversation question is, Is there a limit to free speech, and if so, what is it? A friend from Japan, who is Indian, and comes from a Hindu and Christian family, sent me this cartoonists thoughts about satire, its lines and limits. Conservative columnist David Brooks has also suggested that what some Americans have supported as free speech against Muslims in France would hardly have been tolerated on college campuses in America if it was blatantly aimed at other groups (perhaps against Blacks after Ferguson, or police after officers were shot, or Jews after Temple arsons, for example?) For me, satire has its place and is also contextual. Societies must decide when they find something objectionable and how they wish to curtail things that are found to be publicly repugnant. These sensibilities change ... with a holocaust, slavery, genocide, rape, beheadings, religious or ethnic massacres. What some of the world has said clearly this week in marches (but sadly not all of the world) is that there is a line ... that people will not be murdered for their speech... ...... shunned, censored, ostracized, their work not supported or published, perhaps even imprisoned, but assassination for speech is the line over which many are clear no civilized society should cross. Of course the Chinese govt. does not agree, nor Russias, nor N. Koreas, nor Irans. But many who espouse free speech say this is the line. What do you think? This also doesnt imply that all speech is profitable, wise, or kind. But that is not this conversation.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 07:32:27 +0000
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