Originally Posted by oyster
But then he did say it (and I'm willing to bet my life that several dozen FT'ers from around the world were thinking it). I don't think the baying mob approach of attacking him for what he said is helpful at all, and worse are the attacks on those in this thread that have even tried to mediate - I'm sure I'll be criticized for having a concilatory approach in this post, and that is wrong.
oyster, interesting post. The only thing is, in a day, I have many thoughts, which through experience I have learned that it is usually better to keep in my head - a good example would be "my boss is a total idiot" - thought regularly and often
Part of the experience of growing up is usually learning which thoughts it is appropriate to express, and which are not in society. Thus, children will often blurt out things which adults would never dream of saying. I'm sure other FT-ers did think of such things - indeed we are virtually conditioned by our participation on the board to consider lots of things from a points and miles angle - but the vast majority of them understood how insensitive and crass these thoughts were, and would never dreamed of putting them up on the board for all and sundry to see and comment on. And we learn what is appropriate and what is not appropriate to society mores by how others react, and by how strongly they react. So I'm afraid I will make no apology for reacting strongly -although I will say this is the first time I've been classified as part of a baying mob - apologies, if I make any incorrect actions now, I'm not quite sure how one should behave when part of a baying mob!
Yes, there is a right to free speech (although I should point out in the UK, this is not absolute, and in the US, it's only allowed for the media generally, not at the individual level, or indeed in private situations - see various OMNI debates passim on this), but with rights comes responsibilities as well. But I'm also afraid you cannot claim the right of free speech, but also complain about people's language on the thread - asking for censorshop of language, while saying people have a right to free speech, is, in my opinion, a most illogical and contradictory position. If speedbird2018 should censor his language as some readers find it offensive, then firstclasslad should censor his postings on
this subject, as some readers find it offensive. There we are, everyone happy, and we can go back to the board's normal routine... anybody else coming to the EDI do on the 26th/27th of February?
