Comment by thinkfurther
9 years ago
> I may not be able to understand where White Supremists are coming from, but I fully appreciate their right to free speech.
These two facts are connected. Another example would be not being fully sure what bleach exactly is, but being all for drinking it.
Bluntly, people have a right to hate, as long as they're not committing assault and battery.
I'll take the world where that exists before I live in a world with thought police.
If people have a right to hate, then your ethos demands private companies can mute anyone they want.
It seems difficult to have it both ways.
Edit: it seems my debate partner deleted a telling comment. Too bad.
I didn't think we're debating? I'm just expressing my views within the HN bubble.
Anyway, I agree with you that the current legal framework allows private companies to discriminate. Ideally, government regulation will fix this; otherwise, as soon as the pendulum swings, I'm sure you'd be displeased with progressive websites being dumped off of internet infrastructure by corporations run or owned by those with conservative leanings.
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