Spectre
The Deported
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2007
- Messages
- 36,832
- Location
- Dallas, Texas
- Car(s)
- 00 4Runner | 02 919 | 87 XJ6 | 86 CB700SC
An armed society is a society where free speech is non-existent and people live in fear. Your point merely hammers that point home, congrats of having a society full of individual dictators.
But hey, threats of violence are easily the best way of dealing with problems...
Er, no. Free speech is actually MORE prevalent in armed societies, but the emotional loading is lower - hence the polite society part of the old Heinlein quote. In Texas, for example, the woman would not have gotten in the videographer's face or blocked him in. She might have tried convincing him that he was in the wrong, but she would not have been as heated or animated.
I would even point out that in an armed society there is less discrimination and attacks on those who hold unpopular views than in unarmed ones as those who would attack them have to take into account that the other person might have effective and permanent means of resisting.
Freedom of speech does not mean that you have the right to infringe on the rights of others. She was doing so and in a more well-armed society might have gotten what she deserved.
I would refer you to MWF's recent experiences here in Dallas. He went to the State Fair which is in one of the worst parts of Dallas, and a predominantly minority one as well. I'll let him tell you of his experiences with our armed society and how it compares in civility, free exchange of ideas, and conduct vice unarmed ol' Blighty. Edit: Which it appears he has already done.
As mentioned above - if you express your views to another civilly and courteously to another in an armed society, you will at least be heard in the same vein. It is only when you move to deprive another of their rights that things can get ugly for the instigator - as it should be.
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