1. The law of unintended consequences 2. ReadingEvening Post
Graham Marsden, 21 Sep 2006 03:28:06
David Butcher wrote:
> The right to freedom of expression comes with the matching obligation to
> respect others. If you don't respect others, how can you expect them to
> respect you?
I'm sorry, but there is no such obligation to "respect others", if there
was, I couldn't use my right of freedom of expression to call someone a
narrow-minded idiot as that would be disrespectful.
If there is a counter-obligation I would say that it is to not cause
*harm* to others or induce others to cause harm by exercising my right,
eg calling for "Death to all gays/ blacks/ Muslims" would be an abuse of
the right of freedom of expression.
Even if there was an obligation to "respect others" how should we
respond to those who campaign for this proposal who say that "not only
do we not want to look at this stuff, we want to stop *you* from looking
at it too because we don't like it".
How does that "respect" us and our rights?
Cheers,
Graham.