Fair point, Antiseptic.

>>my posts may be offensive, they may even be boorish, but unlike anything you've ever done, people actually enjoy reading them and even learn something occasionally, I suspect<<

Everyone by now will have learned that you are a jerk.

Except that I'm sure it is only your online persona.

In the real world, I suspect you are a feisty but frustrated housewife in Altona, whittling away at the boredom by developing this deliberately obnoxious avatar, using it as an outlet for your aggression until hubby gets back and gives you a black eye for not having his dinner ready.

That's the wonderful thing about the internet. You can be anybody you want to be.

Pericles:"Everyone by now will have learned that you are a jerk."

Hmmm, let me see...Comic-book guy in a "Flash" costume?

"That's the wonderful thing about the internet. You can be anybody you want to be."...

Let's face it, old son, your little mate is just plain dull. Occasionally you rise to "dull but worth reading in case". It's nice that you try to look after the little fella, but all it does is lower your own average.

Dear Steven,

I admire your support for 'freedom of speech,'
however as Adrienne Stone speaking to Damien Carrick
on ABC Radio National - 19 May 2009 stated about
Frederick Toben:

"...this kind of highly offensive, untrue material
levelled at someone because of their race, ethnicity
or religion, or some other like characteristic is
not valuable in free speech terms and indeed may
even undermine those values which freedom of expression
is directed to..."

Frederick Toben cloaks his vilification in a thin veil
of 'historical inquiry.' Yet he targets a particular
group of people and the message of hate is so clear that
it can't easily be avoided. Harm was committed in
this case and rights had been violated.
Toben used freedom of speech as an excuse for vilification
- and the Court ruled that Toben's website
vilified the Jewish people and ordered Toben to remove
the material. Toben had violated Federal Anti-Vilification
Laws.

Toben repeatedly ignored a 2002 Court Ruling that prohibited
him from publishing his rants. There were 24 charges of
Contempt - a failure over a 7 year period to comply with
those orders - despite promising to do so. That's why
he was arrested. His current arrest was not for his views
on the Holocaust but for his breaking a Court Order.

People who enjoy the rights of free speech have a duty to
respect other people's rights. A person's freedom of
speech is limited by the rights of others. All societies
including democratic ones, put various limitations on
what people may say.

I know you can't legislate any form of bigotry
out of existence. But, I am concerned that
these vilification laws may turn those who are persecuted into
martyrs for Freedom of Speech. Had Toben been allowed
to go on ranting - he may have stayed simply as a nutter -
on an obscure website - now with all the publicity -
and exposure he's succeeding in achieving his ends.
That is what bothers me!

Like Grim said...

Excellent quote that ;)

pericles, thanks for the only laugh I've had all day.
If you notice a slightly paunchy bald guy, wearing blue trunks over pink tights zooming a little erratically over your roof tonight... What can I say? It ish Friday night, y'know.
CJ, that wasn't my quote. I distinctly remember giving Anon the credit.
Bottoms up.

examinator,

I'll make your point "speech not is harmless" for you with this link: http://bit.ly/16p1ZK

I have absolutely no sympathy for Toben. Not that he needs any. He wanted to go to jail; to become a martyr for free speech, probably so people like us would talk about him. Witnessing the system and ourselves be manipulated so effortlessly by such a man is probably what makes Foxy uncomfortable.

So my position is not about Toben, or about any "right" he might have to free speech. My championing free speech is purely selfish. Its about my right to listen to what he says, and make up my own mind. I happen to believe it is critically important to our political system that everyone has the right listen to all facts, all opinions, all points of view, and make up their own mind. I view people who say I must let them protect me from false, dangerous or politically incorrect speech with deep suspicion. Whats more, I assume every thinking adult feels the same way. Don't you?

But there is another side to this coin no one hear discusses. With right to listen to what everybody has to say comes a responsibility. You can't use the words of an Irish nut case who claims himself to be god as an excuse to go on a rampage (as Bazz described above). You actually have to take the trouble to be informed, to resist being manipulated. It is not a big ask of an adult voter.

It is too much to ask of a 13 year old girl of course, which is where it all went wrong for Megan Meier and why Lori Drew should be in jail. Its also why I don't see that particular incident as a free speech issue, or indeed any incident involving bullying of a young person.

For an illustration of how these things can really get out of control when kids play with speech, try this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/aug/24/broadcasting.tvandradio