After this recent string of mass murders, it has gotten to the point where I am tired of having to argue with those who call themselves “free speech absolutists”. (or near absolutists to make themselves sound not as binary in logic.) Every one of their arguments boil down to:
1.) I’m not part of the marginalized community that is targeted by the propaganda so why should I care about what is said? It’s not going to effect me.
2.) I can afford the security to protect myself from the consequences for virulent propaganda. Good luck finding yours.
3.) I want to appear fair and balanced by saying your concerns of persecution and repression — as being part of the targeted marginalized community — is somehow equal to the concerns of the persecuting and repressing community that has more privileges than you will ever have in this society.
4.) I’m afraid of being seen as being out of touch, so I’m going to act like taking precaution against legitimate threats are a slippery slope to treating innocuous and insignificant things just as threatening, which I hope stops people from challenging the status quo I have grown accustom to.
For now on, I’m mostly just going to post links to videos, articles, infographics, etc. instead of wasting my time and mental energy on arguing with people who have an almost dogmatic devotion to unfettered free speech. Of course I’m not against free speech, and I am totally against legislation which would make forms of said free speech illegal, but we have to realize and understand that there are consequences in spite of claiming that anything that comes out of someone’s mouth is okay, and that they for whatever reason deserve the same platforms and respect as legitimate and debatable ideas.
So whoever wants to dump on me in the comments because I must be one of “those people” who are so overly sensitive and hates free speech so much, go ahead. There’s enough proof now that I can assuredly show how THIS person has something to actually worry about, and how the accuser needs to work more on their critical thinking and empathy for others actually at risk, not for those putting the marginalized at risk.
P.S. I’ve been accused of using a tragic situation to gloat, I can assure you I am not gloating but scolding. I take no pleasure in repeatedly urging people who should know better to kick the sentiment of “moderates and civility without reciprocation is the answer to today’s problems” to the curb. All it does is push people like Democrats more to the right as enablers, divides its base in attempts to prove to perceived fence sitters that its not becoming more extremist, (a made-up/vastly over-blown right-wing talking point,) and finally gets ignored as one of the main reasons behind the next failed election. One side calling for more moderates and civility doesn’t protect liberty from neoreactionaries actively regressing an already broken system. This system, which admittedly already has had a terrible track record of bringing policies and people like Drumpf into power, (amongst other things,) does not deserve the amount of faith it has in it.
P.S.S. Yes, the Dayton shooter is being included. Despite being vaguely leftist, his attack wasn’t politically motivated and was instead violently misogynistic. Guess which current powerful person has been making it more publicly acceptable to be that way.