送交者: steven 于 2006-2-02, 23:34:20:
回答: This is exactly "free speech", "free" as long as they like 由 AQuestion 于 2006-2-02, 22:50:45:
Freedom has very different meaning in this country. You have the freedom to open you own sillypedia and post your own opnions. The US government cannot throw you in jail just because of that. That is what free speech means. It has never intended for you to put your own "speech" in other people's mouth. Perhaps you have been in China too long, and don't understand any of this.
Again, individul's opinion cannot take away the freedom of other people. Maybe in your own mind, it will. Or who know what do you mean by "freedom," "opinion." If you count the Red Guard actions as expressing their opinion, or Mao's opinion on his opponents, yes, those "opinion" definitly can take away other freedom. However, in a civilized country, where democratic system in its morden form is in place, those "opinions" do take the same weight as them in China where communists do whatever they want without check and balance.
It doesn't mean that in the US institutional violation of the rights of individuals can never happen. Taking bribes is against the law, murdering is against the law, and drug trafficing is against the law, and tax fraud is against the law; but this doesn't mean that all those who commited crime will always get pusnished. However, this doesn't mean the Law is useless.
Just because the US law cannot protect everyone's rights, doesn't mean the US is the same as China.
You also cannot tell the difference between an opinion and action: A person believe all blacks are bad, that is his opinion, and he has not yet act on that. That is not against the Law. Suppose this person is a manager for a apartment complex, and acting on his believe, he systematically deny blacks from renting apartments, that is an action, and he acts which is against the law. There is a burden of proof that those who sue him need to show, and that person remains inocent until proving guilty.