Ahhhh, a breath of common-sense, and a pleasure to read, thanks KMB.

We should all have absolutely free speech, and if exercised and objected to, an absolutely unbiased and independent arbitrator to decide if it is offensive or not. I note you refer to a Judge’s opinion. Lord Mansfield, a very famous and good British jurist, said a popular judge is a nasty and pernicious individual.

You know my views on judgmental people, they are an abomination in the sight of the Lord, and a Judge was never an option, They banned Judges in English law totally and completely in 1640, in the Habeas Corpus Act 1640 16 Charles 1 Ch X. They even said that if a Judge judged three times, he lost his house, his land and his right to vote, and did what they called disabled him. They made A Judge a virtual outlaw. The English had some good ideas, and they came to Australia with the English. What they did not do, was extend these privileges to Roman Catholic members of English society, until 1828, and then only on strict conditions.

Passions ran high between the English Protestants and Roman Catholic Irish and Scots and they spent centuries trying to kill each other. It was only as the Empire expanded that the English had to let the Scots and Irish into the army, and the public service, to have enough people to run it, that led to a change of heart. Just a the English took Irish land, so the Roman Catholic Church took English land, and during the reign of terror of Cromwell, the 11 years of the republic, Roman Catholic rights were totally suspended, churches and monasteries were sacked and ruined and the land given back to the English protestants to farm.

Free speech was not truly tolerated but if you were a Protestant Englishman and went to Church, you were guaranteed a jury trial, and a fair just and impartial tribunal of fact. A Judge is not a tribunal, he is a despot. They are the same type of person that dispensed justice under Roman Catholic Rule, and got banned in 1640

Foxy 's point is correct “The right to exercise any right should be controlled
to an extent whereby it is not detrimental to society.
Freedom should not be confused with licence, as the
article points out. “
It seems to me that the crux of the problem people have with FOS it three fold.

By adding the term 'right' to FOS some then argue on grounds of 'rights' not the better term “basic entitlement”. While I agree the argument is somewhat pedantic the nuance is that FOS and many other so called “rights” are in fact conditional/has restrictions in any society.

The next issue seems to be a “black letter” literal/legalistic interpretation of the topic without reference the logical differences that exist in societies and need to be accommodated. Hence my often quoted for every entitlement(right) there is an equal and opposite responsibility

As a broad generality those who complain the loudest about FOS are usually those with hard and fast agendas and/or are really campaigning about the possible loss of their 'what they believe is their unfettered “right” to be illogical/ factually lazy in their arguments. In the context of OLO that means exercising agendas [axe grinding], prejudices rather than discussion.

(FYI for those who wonder about the group is such it has little to do with shared Greenie or otherwise perspectives it is simply that they TEND to want to discuss rather than “axe grind”[agendas] and believe in manners. )

"I seem to be having an identity crisis."
Sorry KGB!

"the answer I would have given has been expressed."

See I would hate that.

"it seems indeed that the one who gets the most applause at the end of a speech does earn the right to go on to make others!"

Ah yes well I also thought people with big eyes could see further.

"BTW, I am glad to have this opportunity of saying that I welcome the addition of your posts to this forum because I enjoy the freshness they bring."

Thank you Romany, I did forget to do one of those "hello I am here and new on this site" type messages. Hanging around here is certainly making me wish I paid more attention at school or went to uni or read more or was just born with knowledge.

"....As a broad generality those who complain the loudest about FOS are usually those with hard and fast agendas and/or are really campaigning about the possible loss of their 'what they believe is their unfettered “right” to be illogical/ factually lazy in their arguments. In the context of OLO that means exercising agendas [axe grinding], prejudices rather than discussion...." (Quote:examinater)

That'll do nicely!

We are not honest persons and we play cheap, dirty, games withouht any interest for truth and justice.
When a conservative says a migrant to return back to his country because he desagree with migrant's ideas, then the conservative called racist who violates migrant's basic rights, freedom of expression, I agree with it!
BUT When a left says a conservative migrant to return back to his country because desagree with his ideas, then no one call the left racist or that he violates migrant's basic rights, freedom of expression.
I read the posts at least from three lefts to call a migrant to Go home and no one from the other lefts said a word, no one care to protect migrant's basic rifgts.
Why? The human rights, the freedom of expression, the hatters come only from one side?
I love CJ Morgan's "Hang on a sec, haters" and he forgot that he asked colonel Rouge to"Go home, Col. You don't belong here" Who is the realy hater, who violated very basic human rights, who violate essentcial migrant's rights.
What will hapen hapen if every one do the same thing to any migrant who desagree with him? GO HOME? WHAT IS THIS? NO ONE FROM THE KNOWN LEFTS IN THE FORUM, WROTE ANYTHING AGAINST CJ Morgan, NO ONE TRIED TO PROTECT MIGRANT'S BASIC RIGHTS.
IS THERE ANYTHING WORST FROM TO TELL A MIGRANT TO GO HOME, THAT HE DOES NOT BELONG HERE?
IF THIS IS NOT MANY GIGATONE HATE THEN WHAT IS HATE?
In this forum there some persons who could win the first international award in hypocricy! You won the award in hypocrisy but lost your credibility!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide