- Anything Else -

I agree

In Reply to: Sorry (sincere, not fake) posted by Kevin Dempsey on June 23, 1999 at 10:49:56:

: Hmmm... I guess I should have kept quiet. I prefaced my earlier comments by saying I did not know any details about the incident. I just wanted to make it clear that if the canoeist in question had paddled up to these folks and said "Fuck you and your stupid little kids" for no apparent reason, then I would say this family had reasonb to be upset. Clearly, from your reply, this was not the case.

: Still, language can hurt people emotionally, and my concern was that the other poster was suggesting it would be all right to go around verbally attacking people whenever the whim came upon someone (as is often the case in hate crimes directed at minorities, women, and homosexuals). I do not think it is okay for people to run around shouting "Fuck you, you little faggot" at the top of their lungs to complete strangers. Nor do I think avopidance should be the responsibility of the people who are subject to these attacks. Should I have to stay home because I don't want someone to verbally attack me? No. That is all I was saying.
: The word "fuck" is a lovely word, I use it upwards of a dozen times daily, and expressing my feelings through language is okay. All I was saying was I see a difference between that and victimizing someone through language. Clearly the canoeist's case is an example of the former, no0t the latter. Sorry.

I agree with what you're saying, and I don't believe it's right to persistently victimize or verbally abuse any group of people. However, I don't thing that abusive language should be illegal, because this makes a slippery slope, leading to the inability to speak one's mind. The way to combat prejudice is through education and government efforts, not by restricting speech.

Follow Ups:

• Thats what I was trying to say before Shaun usa June 24 1999 (0)