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Richard Stallman's Political Notes

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The free speech of bigots

mardi 6 mars 2018 à 01:00

Responding to leftists who think that "free speech" is just a way to legitimize bigotry.

I respect the free speech of bigots, not because I agree with what they say, but rather despite the fact that I disagree with them. I am sure that if some views come to be censored, they won't be the plutocrats' views, or the bigots' views. Rather, the views that criticize them will be censored.

Since the article mentioned trigger warnings, I would like to mention the idea (which I believe I read in an article in Free Inquiry) that trigger warnings are like spoiler warnings: a way of doing a favor to people who might prefer to avoid a particular topic. To fail to warn should not be a big deal, but when you have an opportunity to do people this favor, why not do it?