[Gunnair]

Curtman Curtman:

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

No, I agree. It's not the newcomers agitating all this, it's our leaders.

It's everyone who believes some stupid icon is more important than the ideals it represents. You put value in the poppy as a symbol of heroism, bravery, and sacrifice for freedom. You take it away when you command others to respect your icons.

$1:

Tom Williams, tweeting as @tomwilliamsisme, wrote: ''The scary thing is, the man wasn't arrested for burning a poppy - that's not illegal. He was arrested for putting it online.''

Jamie's Pants, under @thisisrjg, tweeted: ''We do not have a right to not be offended. We certainly don't have a right to lock up someone for offending some people'', while Thom Lumley, tweeting as @Hotstepperrr, wrote: ''Dear idiots at Kent Police, burning a poppy may be obnoxious, but it is not a criminal offence.''

The Internet is a place for free exchange of ideas. It's not the same as yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theatre. It's a place to challenge precepts and learn any thing you want. Save the icon worship for the next stanley cup riot.

The internet is more a room where the highly opinionated simply yell their ideas as loud as possible.

Not really much more than that.

[Curtman]

Gunnair Gunnair:

The internet is more a room where the highly opinionated simply yell their ideas as loud as possible.

Not really much more than that.

Well I believe in The Wisdom of Crowds. The more people, and the more diverse they are, the better the results of the communication. Censorship of the internet doesn't protect anybody.

[Gunnair]

Curtman Curtman:

Gunnair Gunnair:

The internet is more a room where the highly opinionated simply yell their ideas as loud as possible.

Not really much more than that.

Well I believe in The Wisdom of Crowds. The more people, and the more diverse they are, the better the results of the communication. Censorship of the internet doesn't protect anybody.

No, but I don't think for a moment that when every volume is turned to 10 that the message gets out.

[Jonny_C]

The idea of free speech is that it protects objectionable free speech. If all we're left with is politically-correct free speech, then we have no free speech at all.

What seems to be rapidly developing is an opposite poles thing, where you are either in favour of restricted speech (which is what this stuff about getting arrested for insults is all about) or if you're in favour of free speech. The shadings that we might consider common-sense shadings are disappearing.

If I'm reading this right, I am firmly in the camp of free speech. The "slippery slope" argument is often overplayed, but I think it's perfectly applicable here.

[EyeBrock]

I'm all for free speech, as long as I agree with what they are saying.

Just kidding!