No, free speech is never an absolute. There have been libel and slander laws on the books for decades, which curtail what one person may legally say about another. Verbal abuse is treated in a very similar manner to physical abuse in a relationship, and more recently, hate crime laws have been created to curtail explicit hatred being promoted towards ethnic or religious groups.
Legally, there are very few absolutes .. I can't start a cult, which involved bank robberies and vandalism, and then claim 'freedom of religion'. I can't tarnish the reputation of my employer in a public forum, and not potentially face dismissal. I can't browbeat a significant other for hours on end, and not be considered, and treated as an abusive partner.
So, short answer .. no, freedom of speech is not an absolute.
In short, similar laws exist in "Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland"
2 comments:
No, free speech is never an absolute. There have been libel and slander laws on the books for decades, which curtail what one person may legally say about another. Verbal abuse is treated in a very similar manner to physical abuse in a relationship, and more recently, hate crime laws have been created to curtail explicit hatred being promoted towards ethnic or religious groups.
Legally, there are very few absolutes .. I can't start a cult, which involved bank robberies and vandalism, and then claim 'freedom of religion'. I can't tarnish the reputation of my employer in a public forum, and not potentially face dismissal. I can't browbeat a significant other for hours on end, and not be considered, and treated as an abusive partner.
So, short answer .. no, freedom of speech is not an absolute.
-- Chris
While I don't agree with what they are saying, I don't think it should be illegal for them to say it:
LA Times Commentary
In short, similar laws exist in "Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland"
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