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by James Robertson.
Original Post: Jackbooted Thugs of Freedom
Feed Title: Cincom Smalltalk Blog - Smalltalk with Rants
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Chris Petrilli coins a great phrase (see the title) in his post about online behavior:
Take, for example, “freedom of speech,” which has been a hallmark of the American experience for many years. There are some who, mistakenly, believe that it is an absolute right, without limit, and without restriction. It is not. One is not allowed to say things that specifically endanger other people’s lives, such as yelling “fire” in a crowded room. Additionally, one can not conflate the right to say something with the right to be heard. I might wish to say irrational and crazy things -- and often do -- but that does not require anyone around me to provide support, whether in the form of monetary commitments, or even a forum.
That's the point I've been trying to get across, with a few prominent people - like Scoble - just not getting it (see his update, near the bottom of the post). With freedom comes responsibility - and ceding the latter will not lead to more of the former. Quite the opposite, actually.