Where did I say I don't believe in free speech? I absolutely believe in free speech.
But if we project your idea further along - that the Fifth Estate should not have its rights impeded, at all, ever, by anyone - then, we get censorship of the people, who - unless they are anointed members of the Fifth Estate, will not have the same assumed powers, ever.
So .. should only a certain 'class' of 'authority' in society have the ability to say what it wants?
The answer is that there are no absolutes in this discussion.
In the example we are following, Gawker uses its rights of free speech to hurt another human being, whose own rights (to privacy) were being impeded.
What do you think should have happened, which should have more precedence over the other - the right of privacy, or the right of free speech?
> So .. should only a certain 'class' of 'authority' in society have the ability to say what it wants?
No. Everyone should.
> The answer is that there are no absolutes in this discussion.
There are principles though.
> In the example we are following, Gawker uses its rights of free speech to hurt another human being
That's why we have free speech. Using your logic, every atheist should be jailed because they hurt another human being.
> whose own rights (to privacy) were being impeded.
No they weren't. That's the point.
Anyways, the gawker case has nothing to do with privacy. It has everything to do with a billionaire deciding to take out gawker.
I've never visited gawker. Don't really care about celebrity news. But I do believe in free speech.
And you could say gawker is a terrible sight and still defend their free speech rights.
> What do you think should have happened, which should have more precedence over the other - the right of privacy, or the right of free speech?
Free speech of course - especially when it concerns a PUBLIC figure.
Here's the thing. NOTHING ILLEGAL happened despite the hordes here saying so. Hulk Hogan spoke about the sex tape LONG before gawker released it. FOOTAGE of it already had been released by TMZ and other sites. And the sex tape was acquired LEGALLY.
The Judge, who heard all the arguments you and I are ignoring/unaware of, did not agree with your assessment: Gawker was fined a hefty sum as punitive damages, and rather than pay it, they shuttered the company. Good thing they still have those rights, eh?
> The Judge, who heard all the arguments you and I are ignoring/unaware of, did not agree with your assessment:
It wasn't the judge. It was the JURY.
And judges aren't "infallible".
As a matter of fact, appeals court ruled that the judge infringed on the free speech rights of gawker.
"The injunction was quickly stayed on appeal, and was denied in 2014 by the appeals court, which ruled that under the circumstances it was an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech under the First Amendment. Gawker tried to get Judge Campbell to dismiss the case based on that ruling, but the case went to trial."
As I said, I'm not a fan of gawker. But I'm for free speech. Even ugly, offensive, disgusting speech is FREE SPEECH. That's the purpose of free speech. To protect OFFENSIVE speech.
You spam this sub claiming you are for free speech and yet all you have done so far is to peddle anti-free speech rhetoric.
>You spam this sub claiming you are for free speech and yet all you have done so far is to peddle anti-free speech rhetoric.
Nonsense. Nowhere have I said that Gawker shouldn't have had the right of free speech. Just that they should accept responsibility for the consequences of that speech. That they chose not to, just means they're unable to defend their own rights when faced with justice for the harm they actually did cause while exercising that right.
I'm completely okay, for example, with you insulting me with your vitriol - as long as you're prepared to deal with the down votes in a responsible, adult-like manner. That isn't what happened with Gawker - they flaunted the law and demonstrated time and again that they thought they were above the law, "just because".
Alas, all these rights are for naught if we don't have a social system in place to protect them.
But if we project your idea further along - that the Fifth Estate should not have its rights impeded, at all, ever, by anyone - then, we get censorship of the people, who - unless they are anointed members of the Fifth Estate, will not have the same assumed powers, ever.
So .. should only a certain 'class' of 'authority' in society have the ability to say what it wants?
The answer is that there are no absolutes in this discussion.
In the example we are following, Gawker uses its rights of free speech to hurt another human being, whose own rights (to privacy) were being impeded.
What do you think should have happened, which should have more precedence over the other - the right of privacy, or the right of free speech?