Today, the racists are found in greater numbers among these horrible student activists.

But... a threat IS violence!

Yes, too many people assume that "free speech" can only refer to the 1st amendment of the US constitution.

That's one specific bit of text with legal relevance in one region which embodies one set of ideas about "free speech".

But "free speech" in general is more abstract than that; its an idea, value. Its a value that might be held by anyone in any country. Its not even one specific idea, there are different equally valid takes on what "free speech" should encompass, how it should be balanced with other values.

Yeah, well its not like I have citations of some quasi-objective survey/analysis of the media.

I just have my personal impressions, which are this: The hippies of the 60s advocated for free speech, free expression. Religious moralists have advocated for various kinds of censorship over the decades, and it was usually liberals who I saw speaking out against them the most. (Sure there were libertarians and freedom-loving conservatives, but their voices weren't as loud). Today, on the left, we have a culture of SJWs who are consistently opposed to free expression and free speech, and its the conservatives who are speaking out against them.

Wait, do you live someplace where its safe for him to go riding a bike on his own, out and about?

Wow, when I was a kid, I couldn't _wait_ to learn to rid a bike and go off an have my own adventures away from home. He isn't interested?

Make flashcards for your courses and have him help you study, turn it into a game.



Teach him how to do the laundry and wash the dishes. Lots of kids love that stuff if you treat it like something fun.

That kills most of my cheap ideas.

Is he really smart? Maybe play classic strategy games with him.

I once knew a bunch of guys from Turkey. When they came to the USA they had to learn how to behave like americans lest they be mistaken for homosexuals. In turkey, heterosexual men touch each other a great deal, they are always hanging on each others shoulders.

One of them told me "We tell the new guys - don't touch each other. In turkey we touch, here you'll be gay"

So I don't know. To me kissing on the lips suggests something sexual, but I've seen Italian families that do it.

I don't think its inherently sexual to kiss on the lips, so there is nothing *wrong* with people from other cultures doing it with their kids. But on the other hand if they are living in the US, why confuse them with behavior that's taken differently in the US?

Absolutely!

It always bothered me when people chop off 6th fingers. What's so wrong with having a 6th finger on one hand?

When I was learning to play guitar, I would have LOVED to have a 6th finger!

But goddamn so many toes! Poor guy won't be able to walk right.

Exactly. Every single large corporate entity which has come out attacking Georgia or other socially conservative states does business in countries that are far worse than the state of Georgia.

They are all total hypocrites. They don't really care about care about gay rights or human rights, they just care about posturing.

Bingo.

They do? That's not been my experience.

Yes. There is a danger here which no one on the left seems to be talking about.

The rights of women and black people to vote and receive equal treatment before the law were major and important battles which people fought. These were landmark victories, or great historical importance; and the people who fought for them deserve admiration and respect.

But it seems like many of today's liberals want to dramatize and celebrate every small imagined victory over imaginary oppression.

I'm not opposed to this 'gay monument', but where does it end? After seeing how so many people want to *celebrate* those desperate and pathetic attention seekers like some celebrity trans people, and act like they are brave and righteous fighters for Something Good(tm).... well now I'm concerned that the left is becoming too attached to fighting imaginary enemies, imaginary oppression.


Edit: Just realized I didn't explicitly name the 'danger' - I'm concerned that there is a feedback loop in liberal culture in which putting up monuments like this might play a roll. When you are done defeating *actually* oppression, what does liberal outrage culture do? They must manufacture more imaginary oppression, just to keep the imaginary fight alive.

Do most people actually make their congressional votes based on their feelings about a wholly unrelated election?



That's a valid concern. Also, he might strengthen the brand. Personally, I think both the parties have too much power, and it might be a good thing for the USA for their brands to weaken.



I'm not sure any of our presidents have really had the temperament or character they appear to have - they are all masters of cultivating a public persona.

I think that Trump-as-president will present himself differently than Trump-as-candidate.




Yeah, well lets mix things up a bit. I'm fed up with other US voters marching around in two groups yelling slogans at each other like we are all part of a high school pep rally. Both parties have warmongers among their ranks, both have lovers and haters of liberty among their ranks. Neither of the two main parties actually has an truly ideologically coherent platform (while most 3rd parties do), they are instead franken-platforms chosen for expediency. Both parties are beholden to corporate interests.

While Trump may or may not hurt the "Republican party" long term, I think that relative outsiders like Trump and Bernie are more likely to more good than harm for the american people long term.

Most of those freedoms are automatically restored if someone is found innocent. Will these guns be returned if someone is found innocent of domestic abuse?

No, no, no. That's terrible. Anyone should be allowed to wear almost anything, and we should all be allowed to associate however we like.

If they really want to deal with assimilation problems, they can do things like require everyone to learn the local language, if they want to move to the country and require everyone to declare allegiance to the constitution.

Yeah, you can get potassium iodide for like $10 or so.

Decades ago many conservatives were trying to restrict speech and expression, while most liberals argued for freedom of speech.

Today, the situation has reversed.

One reason is because part of the liberal agendas just aren't compatible with the facts, nor with well reasoned arguments.