Neh, if you think *that*'s disturbing....read this spiel (http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/03/04/iraq.usa.shirt.reut/index.html) about the NY lawyer and son who got arrested for wearing a peace shirt at a mall? That's right - apparently someone got their pants in a knot over these white cotton tees with "Give Inspections A Chance" and "Say No To War with Iraq" printed in plain black text, called mall security, and -this is what scares me- when they couldn't get the man to remove his shirt or leave the mall, they had the local PD arrest him! WTF?!? Whatever happened to free speech? Whatever happened to our right to be as obnoxious as we want to be, because we're entitled to our opinions and aren't hurting anyone?!? What makes those simple words worse than all the shirts plastered with hate speech, or gore, or innuendo, or pot, or any one of a dozen other things that seem to be all the rage among the t-shirt crowd? Have we truly become so self-absorbed and hyper-sensitive that expressing an anti-war opinion has become the equivalent of waving a loaded gun at a crowd?
For the love of all that is holy, people, if you don't like it, don't look at it! Nobody's asking you to agree with their opinion; they're just exercising their right to express that opinion! Geez!
...What bothers me as much - if not more - than the whole censorship issue is the fact that the t-shirts the man and his son were wearing had been purchased THAT DAY, FROM A BOUTIQUE IN THE MALL. The hell? So what they're saying is, it's okay for us to sell the item, and it's okay for you to buy it, but don't go wearing that offensive trash in our presence?
*sigh* You know, if I hadn't tendered my resignation from the human race years ago, I'd seriously have to think about doing it now. The stupid have inherited the Earth. (Who knew that 'weak' referred to 'weak-minded'?!?) *GAH.* Really, now.
On a positive note, the man arrested is a lawyer (the head of a unit meant to prevent the abuse of legal powers, actually :) ). He ought to have a legal field day with this. And I'll cheer him on all the way.
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branchandroot
Sure, We'll Sell It, But That Doesn't Mean You Can Wear It...
Date: 2003-03-05 04:12 pm (UTC)For the love of all that is holy, people, if you don't like it, don't look at it! Nobody's asking you to agree with their opinion; they're just exercising their right to express that opinion! Geez!
...What bothers me as much - if not more - than the whole censorship issue is the fact that the t-shirts the man and his son were wearing had been purchased THAT DAY, FROM A BOUTIQUE IN THE MALL. The hell? So what they're saying is, it's okay for us to sell the item, and it's okay for you to buy it, but don't go wearing that offensive trash in our presence?
*sigh* You know, if I hadn't tendered my resignation from the human race years ago, I'd seriously have to think about doing it now. The stupid have inherited the Earth. (Who knew that 'weak' referred to 'weak-minded'?!?) *GAH.* Really, now.
On a positive note, the man arrested is a lawyer (the head of a unit meant to prevent the abuse of legal powers, actually :) ). He ought to have a legal field day with this. And I'll cheer him on all the way.
-Jennies (aka War)