Defining Free Speech

[dgridley]

Suppose there was a hit song that caused 80% of its listeners kill themselves. Should that song be banned, or would you argue that free speech is more important?

I think most people would take the practical approach. We already have some minor constraints on free speech. You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded movie theater. You can’t defame someone in public. It would be no big deal to ban one particular song if the alternative was the death of millions.

What if the song killed fewer people? Would you ban a hit song that’s loved around the world if there was no doubt, statistically speaking, it would result in the death of ten people?

We have that situation now, except it’s not music. Every time the media makes a big deal about a high profile suicide there’s a 100% chance it inspires additional suicide.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/325/7377/1374

source: http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/04/define_free_spe.html

Interesting but we can also compare those potential 10 killed against the millions who have already died protecting their right to free speech.. in that case, I believe the death of 10 might be acceptable, but what do YOU think?

 

[viciouscircle]

The entire reason to protect all free speech is just what you ask... where do you draw the line?

You could make argument about virtually anything "inspiring people" to kill themselves or others. Beyond that, the simple fact is, they would likely have ended up doing whatever they do regardless of that one individual event. A person does not kill themself just because they saw a report on suicide on the evening news. There are (at minimum) dozens of other factors involved, however the report is no more responsible than the death of a pet dog or anything else. The individual act of reporting on a suicide is in no way itself responsible for additional suicides, short of everyone on earth killing themselves because of it.

You're left with a choice between banning anything that can have any negative effects on anything, or allowing everything with remotely legitimate purpose. The only correct choice here is to err on the side of freedom. Once you start banning things like news reports on suicide, what is to stop the government from banning news reports that make it look bad, or banning the expression of political viewpoints not shared by those in power, or anything else that may offend someone and therefore hurt them emotionally (which constitutes virtually everything)?

Once you begin to compromise a little, it doesn't take long for someone to come a long and try to push things a little further.

 

[klm390]

I've listened to this song a thousand times since I was a young teen and have never once thought about killing myself.


kill yourself <<<<<<click on this song title on the song list.


Lyrics

Can't take it, never could
Time to end it, wish you would
Friends and family, their all gone
Life for you is just a con
Dig yourself a hole in the ground
Push up daisies six feet down
Take a dirt nap, buy the farm
Inject a bubble in your arm

KILL YOURSELF, KILL YOURSELF
Why dont you kill yourself
Don't rely on no one else,
End it all, just kill yourself
KILL YOURSELF, KILL YOURSELF
Why dont you kill yourself
Don't rely on no one else,
End it all, just kill yourself
Now

Life is just a one way ticket
Everyone must go around
Here's a bucket, go and kick it
Slit your wrists without a sound
When you go dont make a big deal
No dramatics, dont overplay
Cause don't you know that we'll all feel
Better once you've gone away
KILL YOURSELF, KILL YOURSELF
Why dont you kill yourself
Don't rely on no one else,
End it all, just kill yourself
KILL YOURSELF, KILL YOURSELF
Why dont you kill yourself
Don't rely on no one else,
End it all, just kill yourself
Now

You're a loser, at everything you do.
A worthless loser, there's nothing left for you

KILL YOURSELF NOW






I'll comment back later. Until then I'll ad this song to help your question and go jump off a bridge!!! <<That was just a joke!











%%-

 

[.X.]

I never have believed in the music causing someone to commit a crime, copy cat crimes will happen no matter what, i believe the person is sick to begin with, if it weren't music, or seeing these crimes committed by watching the media, they would commit a crime of a different sort, does the music and media give them ideas? Sure they do, but these people are sick to begin with, so no matter the music or media, they are going to commit a crime any way, it just gives politicians a reason to take a little more of our freedom away imo.

 

[James]

i really don't think a song could push you to suicide. it would be the memories that are running in your head that would push you towards it also, i doubt they'll ever have a song like that but i think if they even did they'd get rid of it straight away.

 

[Barrucadu]

If someone kills themselves over a song, imagine how pitiful their life would have been, being influenced by anything and having very little free will.