General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We should not kill people for speech. But I am not Charlie Hebdo. [View all]Denzil_DC
(9,101 posts)That in the confines of this community, we place restrictions on "free speech"? Do you agree or disagree with the hide?
That post's an extreme (and pretty amazing) example, but there's similar opinion-shaming still going on (of the "no true liberal" etc. type), and I doubt I really need to draw your attention to more examples unless you've been very selective in your reading, because they're pretty common.
I'm not into inflaming people's raw feelings further at the moment. But there's also a danger of hypocrisy in condemning others for their free speech, let alone free thought - I think you need to be careful with broadbrush allegations of "victim-blaming" if you really think people have a right to their own reactions - while they try to make whatever sense they can of events when their opinion doesn't concur with the most vocal calls for unquestioning expressions of solidarity. You question the timing of people's expressions of misgivings. When would be a good time to express them?
I've also seen a lot of wholesale condemnation of Islam and at least a few illiberal references to "Muslims," as if they're a monolithic group. The response in the aftermath to 9/11 is still too raw in the memory to feel comfortable with that. I spent a lot of time speaking out against it then; I'm sad that it's still necessary now.