Do people have the right to NOT be offended?

[Reindeer911_SC]

The "Ho-Ho-Ho" thread got me thinking. We hear a lot about PC these days, and the idea of being sensitive towards the needs of others. We also know about freedom of speech and the idea that it's the unpopular viewpoints that need protection.

Let me ask this question... do people have the right to NOT be offended? If so, where should the line be drawn?

Let me give some examples:

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho".
Flying the Confederate Flag.
Burning the U.S. Flag.
Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia.
Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games.
Anti-war protesting.
Two men kissing in public.
Holocaust revisionism.
Manger scene at a public park.
Rap lyrics advocating violence.
Centerfold in a men's locker room.

Hopefully I've caught just about everybody with those examples. The point of this debate is not to discuss the merits of any of the above... it's the fact that certain groups would find these examples of expression to be offensive, even to the point of criminalization.

What do you think?

[Lollipop_Girl]

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho".
Flying the Confederate Flag.
Burning the U.S. Flag.
Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia.
Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games.
Anti-war protesting.
Two men kissing in public.
Holocaust revisionism.
Manger scene at a public park.
Rap lyrics advocating violence.
Centerfold in a men's locker room.



Who are these people who get offended by these things anyway? Obviously some people are but they can't possibley be the majority can they? I mean, most people I know think this over-PC behavior is stupid.

Could I not argue that I find the fact that they are offended by a homosexual couple kissing in public offensive? :p I mean, I'm a hetrosexual but I could say I'm offended by their discrimination. Anything can be seen as offensive to someone, and things such as blatently racist or sexist remarks should be sorted out. But making a fuss because "ooooh ho ho ho is sooo offensive because santa is calling me a slut!" or "Aggghhhhh this museum supports nazis because they have war memorabillia with swastikas on!" is really just stupid.

Well I think people do have the right to not be offended. I have never seen anyone be offended if I use terms like "blackboard". Santa goes "ho ho ho" and the nursery rhyme is "bah bah black sheep". And because I do not see these as racist or sexist in any way and don't understand why anyone would I'll d**n well say them :p

[georgiababe]

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho".
Flying the Confederate Flag.
Burning the U.S. Flag.
Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia.
Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games.
Anti-war protesting.
Two men kissing in public.
Holocaust revisionism.
Manger scene at a public park.
Rap lyrics advocating violence.
Centerfold in a men's locker room.

1) Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho" - utterly ridiculous. I am a woman, and saying "Ho Ho Ho" does not offend me in any sense. Have people said "You're such a ho, ho, ho!" to me around the holidays? Yes. I don't take it offensively - usually, it's one of my friends doing it and I understand that it's a joke. I find it presumptuous of authorities to try to put words in my mouth - I don't think that most women would be offended. I know I'm not a prostitute or a slut.

2) I could see how this one could be taken offensively - people may think that those who have this flag are condoning racism. However, it could be that their ancestors fought in the Civil War and they are simply displaying a family heirloom that happens to be from one of the Confederates states.

3) Burning the U.S. Flag. I do find this one somewhat offensive - I'm not an American, but if the flag were a Canadian one, I think I would be annoyed. It would depend on who was burning it though - if it was for some sort of anti-government protest I could really care less, but if it were in some other situation, I would maybe care. Although, now that I think about it, I don't know if I would be offended. Argh. What an interesting question....

4) I don't think that the swastika is offensive in this sense. It's a part of history - a horrible part, of course, but an important one as well. However, if it is used in a fashion to condone anti-Semitism (I once read an article about a Jewish woman whose car was graffitied with one) then I think it's just disgusting. In this context though, I don't think it's offensive.

5) I don't find graphic content offensive - I don't like it, but I am not really offended by it. The FCC designs warnings for a reason. If you don't want to see it, don't watch it and/or don't let your kids watch it.

6) Anti-war protesting is a personal choice. I am anti-war, in that I wish that there could never be war, but I also understand that sometimes, war is necessary. People can do what they want - wars will always be fought.

7) Two men kissing in public - I am not offended in the least. They're here, they're queer, get over it. If you don't like it, look away.

8) Holocaust revisionism - I will not reply to this yet, because I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the term. Could someone please clarify?

9) I don't find manger scenes offensive in the least. Yes, it's religious. However, being offended by this is like being offended when a church has a cross displayed on the side. If you follow a different religion than Christianity, just ignore it. It's a nice Christmas story anyways.

10) Rap lyrics advocating violence - this I do find offensive. How seriously these lyrics are taken, I am not sure. I know that they are just lyrics, but I do think that kids are influenced by what they see and hear. Sometimes people take things to heart when they shouldn't and believe everything they hear. When it comes to violence (especially because rap music condones violence against women) I don't understand why it's necessary to sing about it.

11) As for the centerfold - I don't find it offensive, really. I know that a lot of feminists cry foul about men's magazines and how they are offensive to women, but I don't necessarily think that's true. Would I pose nude for a magazine? Yes. Nude for a men's magazine? No. It would make me feel like a porn star. Nudity as art and nudity as sex are completely different. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it, but if other women are, who am I to stop them?

Do I think that people have the right to be offended or not offended? Yes, I suppose. I haven't really thought about it. It's someone's thoughts and we really can't monitor them or punish them for having them, unless they act on these thoughts and cause emotional or physical harm to others or restrict the fundamentals rights of others. Like when somebody tries to prevent anti-war protestors from protesting. If you think their cause is stupid, fine. But you can't stop them from voicing their opinions.

[grape_merchant_001]

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho".
Flying the Confederate Flag.
Burning the U.S. Flag.
Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia.
Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games.
Anti-war protesting.
Two men kissing in public.
Holocaust revisionism.
Manger scene at a public park.
Rap lyrics advocating violence.
Centerfold in a men's locker room.

1) well we all know my views on the ho ho ho thing, its stupid and not even worth me explaining my feelings any more.

2) I have no idea what a confederate flag is so ill just leave that one

3) To me a flag is a flag, its a piece of material that has a picture on it that represents a country, and if people want to burn it i think that there wasting there time as it is not hurting any one and i think that people do it just so they can get the reaction they get when they do it. Its like if a little kid is showing off if you react he will keep doing it if you ignore him he will ware himself out and watch tv or something. If some one were to burn the Australian flag i don't think i would care much, its just people expressing their feelings about my country, which then makes them look ignorant as you cant judge a country for its stereotypes or its leader etc. Its not like the person burning the flag has met every one in the country and seen every thing then decided he didn't like it so hes gonna burn the flag now. I could go on forever but i'm not.

4) if its a memorabilia then i don't think that it should be taken offensively, if anything it should be there for us to learn from it, and remember how horrible and stupid WW2 was, i don't think they should take away something from our world history, but if someone was writing swastikas on peoples cars or houses etc then its not right at all.

5)Like i read georgiababe say before the television people put the warnings on the tv before the movie/show has even begun, and i don't get offended, if i don't like it i dont watch it simple as that, i don't agree with them putting adverts on the tv for offensive shows as that can turn bad, like when my little sister asked me what an orgasm was after she had seen an advert for sex and the city, which may as well have been a big 2 minute porno.

6) I am so for anti war protesting, if people who are protesting have the right information, i hate it when people are debating or protesting and they don't have the right knowledge of whats going on, like my mum thinks that war is stupid and that we shouldn't have remembrance days because it was the soldiers fault for going and fighting in the first place, but what she doesn't know is that if they didn't go and fight, they were sent to jail and they were brainwashed into believing it was the right thing to do, and if they didn't our countries would be taken over by Hitler. So if the right info is there then i think it is great for people to voice their opinion.

7) i think that if two people want to express their feelings then good on them, the people who have the problem with it obviously have their own insecurities and they need to get over it

8) Holocaust revisionism. i don't know what that is.

9) I don't think that having a manger scene in a public place is bad, its Christians celebrating their religion and thats fine with me, i don't even know how people can get offended by it, its just about respecting other peoples religions.

10) I think that its all about who listens to the rap music to weather or not it is offensive, i sometimes get offended by it, like when they talk about how all women are sluts and stuff like that because if young boys especially hear it all the time then they might feel like that too just because 50 cent said it. I like eminem but thats id because his songs have meaning to him and its him expressing his feelings but like i said before if the wrong person listens to it, it could turn bad.

11) I don't get offended by men having naked pictures of women that is the womans choice to be naked in a magazine and i think its sad for the boy that he has to look at some naked fake person, but i spose it comes down to whatever tickles your fancy.

I believe that people do have the right not to be offended, if people have the right to be offended and make a big political uproar then people sure as hell have the right to not be offended. but i bet soon the people who dont get offended will be accused for being heartless and inconsiderate etc, every one has the right to have their own opinion and thats that! And that was my opinion, sorry for rambling on a bit.

[Daisie]

Of course people have a right to be offended and they have the right not to be offended. That's not even freedom of speech, it's freedom of... thoughts. Personally, I don't care for some of the examples you listed, and some of them don't bother me at all. But is the purpose of this thread to debate whether people should be offended by them? 'Cause that's what everybody seeems to be doing...

[Lollipop_Girl]

It seems that people can think that you should be offended by these terms, say if you are a man and don't think "ho ho ho" is offensive then you are at risk of getting some crazy (and over extreme) woman claiming he is defending sexist remark...that's how I understood it. Do people have to feel obliuged to find these terms offensive because of all the recent political correctness?

[Ineedalife]

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho".
Flying the Confederate Flag.
Burning the U.S. Flag.
Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia.
Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games.
Anti-war protesting.
Two men kissing in public.
Holocaust revisionism.
Manger scene at a public park.
Rap lyrics advocating violence.
Centerfold in a men's locker room.



1) This is a traditional holiday saying, the only reason someone may take offense to it is because it is taken out of context, somewhat like he wrod gay used to mean happy.
2)I agree that this could be some sort of family heirloom.
3) I personally could care less, I am not that politically aware(but I am only in seventh grade) But I do know that the flags are just material, if they wanted to, people halfway across the world could make one, and I know that they are symbolic and possibly sentimental, but alot of things are, just the flag is regarded with higher respect.
4)Its memorobilia, and everyone(at least in the states)has a right to their own opionion. Whether or not others think its right.
5) It depends, if there was a very graphic commercial or something on Disney channel, my little brother watches that channel, and he is violent enough! ahha. But I guess thats why there are separate channels.
6)I am not sure whether I agree with anti-war, but I do think that there needs to be less wars, but (like earlier, at least inthe states) people have the right to gather, so I could be in no way offended.
7)I will be totally honest and say that it would kind of gross me out, but so would two women, but its their choice, not mine, so I can not be offended by this, unless suddenly it became offensive for two heterosexual people to kiss in public, it shouldn't be offensive for two homosexuals.
8)If this is what I think it is(which is trying to prove the haulocost never happened) I am veryoffended by this, it is a part in history in which many suffered, so peple shouldn't be trying to say it never happend, how would youfeel if your greatgrandmother died in the haulocost and then your neighbor began passing out anti-haulocost flyers or something?
9) I guess it would kinda depend, at this time of year, it would be acceptable because htat is part of the holiday for some, but if it were the fourth of july or something, then I am not sure, probably not becasue that is my religion(christianity) but someone who is say buddist or jewish, they might be offended.
10)I am not really offended by this, but I don;t like it.
11)I don't know what a centerfold is.

[banshee]

Let me ask this question... do people have the right to NOT be offended?I'm going to answer with an emphatic "no". People do not have the right not to have their feelings hurt. Salman Rushdie said, "The idea that any kind of free society can be constructed in which people will never be offended or insulted is absurd. So too is the notion that people should have the right to call on the law to defend them against being offended or insulted. A fundamental decision needs to be made: do we want to live in a free society or not? Democracy is not a tea party where people sit around making polite conversation."

[Daisie]

It seems that people can think that you should be offended by these terms, say if you are a man and don't think "ho ho ho" is offensive then you are at risk of getting some crazy (and over extreme) woman claiming he is defending sexist remark...that's how I understood it. Do people have to feel obliuged to find these terms offensive because of all the recent political correctness?Hmm, okay, thank you for the explanation. :P

I think that... judging someone for their personal feelings about anything is pretty much more offensive to me than whatever the original issue was. Plus, not being offended by something and supporting it are two totally different things altogether. For example, I was recently involved in a half-hearted debate about whether the phrase "under God" belongs in the Pledge of Allegiance, which is recited every morning in most schools across the country. I really could barely care less about it being there, since it's not like it's obligatory to say it and people should really pick their battles, but I do feel that it's wrong for it to be a part of the Pledge. Now, I wasn't trying to open that new can of worms for discussion, but it is a good example... LOL.

[chynableu]

People have the right to not be offended, just like people have the right to be offended. Often, those who are anti-PC are just as anonying with their ranting and raving than people who are categorized as being overly sensitive.

[simsrock123]

People actually technically do not have the right to be offending, based on the 1st amendment (Freedom of Speech). If I really wanted, I could wear a shirt that says F you, and I legally could not be forced to change, or anything like that. I could also say F you to someone if I wanted to, and the surpreme court would have no reason to find me guilty. However if you want to keep your job, you probably shouldn't do most of these. People's only right about being offended, is not being affended. I could preach in an airport if I wanted to as long as it doesn't disturb the peace or break any other laws.

[Reindeer911_SC]

Like said, the point wasn't to debate the merits of any of the particular examples. We know that some people are going to see flag burning as extremely offensive... there have been attempts to criminalize that activity. Others see it as a form of free speech. In the U.S., we pride ourselves on the First Amendment and to speak openly. However, we have been seeing a trend in this country and elsewhere where someone might find something offensive, and next thing there is an attempt to legislate it out of the public view or even throw the offender in jail.

Granted that flag burning is a little more extreme than going "ho ho ho" during the holidays. Still ,the fact is that we are now being told that we shouldn't even say "ho ho ho" because some one might find it offensive. Why should I even care?

Just because a person might be offended at someone else's speech, does that give them the right to curtail the other person's liberties?

[davious]

I think the old addage we learned as children can be applied to this topic.

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

Now, obviously, words can be hurtful. But, only if you let them. Words are only as powerful as you make them. Some people can let things slide that others can't, some people act offended because its expected of them. Personally, if you were to call me a honky wasp cracker, it wouldn't bother me in the least. It may be said in a manner that implies insult, but, if I choose to not be insulted by it, it is powerless. Since its obvious that such an epitaph would be uttered as an insult, nobody would be shocked if I did take offense at it...but that doesn't mean I have to. If you choose to attempt to degrade me by calling me names, the only way your words actually degrade me is if I give them the power to degrade me. Since this is an offshoot of the ho-ho-ho thread, in that case, I think the meaning of ho-ho-ho is 100% obvious. A Santa in a mall going
"ho-ho-ho" is in NO WAY trying to degrade women. Its context is clear. Anyone who chooses to be offended by it is an idiot, probably getting offended because they are professionals at being offended (you know, people who are such drama queens or kings that just need to have the attention) or just is hateful in general. Seriously, if you can't tell the difference between a mall Santa saying "ho-ho-ho" to little children and "HO!" as an insult to women, I really, truly feel sorry for you. Somethings are worth getting panties in a bunch over. However, I think a lot of the time, people are too busy being offended at things that aren't offensive, and miss the stuff that they really should be getting offended over.

[spiderviveka_SC]

You have a right to be offended or not to be offended. Different people have lead different lives, and everyone holds their own unique opinion on the world.



1.Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho"- this is just ridiculous, I suppose they will be wanting to re-name the gardening tool next too.

2.Flying the Confederate Flag- I live in the south. The confederacy not only lost, but also tried to perpetuate ideals of hatred, racism, and slavery. So I think people need to stop flying these damned flags. The south lost, get over it.

3.Burning the U.S. Flag- I don't really care about this. Few people know that burning is actually the correct way of disposing of an old or damaged american flag.

4.Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia- well, I don't believe in Nazi-ism. But do not change historical artifacts/recreations at some pitiful attempt to be politically correct. History should be portrayed as close to reality as possible, not how we wish it happened.

5.Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games- I do not believe in censorship. So please, show all the sex and violence and cursing you want! Its fine with me, because real life is never censored.

6.Anti-war protesting- I protest wars, among other things. The right to protest is one I hold quite dear.

7.Two men kissing in public- I myself am bi-sexual, why should I care?

8.Holocaust revisionism- like... editing what actually happened? See number 5

9.Manger scene at a public park- If its a public park, it has no business there, if its private, put up as many as you want. In any case, I don't lose much sleep over it.

10.Rap lyrics advocating violence- I personally do not like them, but they have every right to rap about whatever they see fit. Again, I am against censorship.

11.Centerfold in a men's locker room- there are appropriate and inapproriate places to objectify women. I think men should be sexist perverts on their own time, and not at work.

[Aries66]

The "Ho-Ho-Ho" thread got me thinking. We hear a lot about PC these days, and the idea of being sensitive towards the needs of others. We also know about freedom of speech and the idea that it's the unpopular viewpoints that need protection.

Let me ask this question... do people have the right to NOT be offended? If so, where should the line be drawn?

Let me give some examples:

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho".
Flying the Confederate Flag.
Burning the U.S. Flag.
Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia.
Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games.
Anti-war protesting.
Two men kissing in public.
Holocaust revisionism.
Manger scene at a public park.
Rap lyrics advocating violence.
Centerfold in a men's locker room.

Hopefully I've caught just about everybody with those examples. The point of this debate is not to discuss the merits of any of the above... it's the fact that certain groups would find these examples of expression to be offensive, even to the point of criminalization.

What do you think?

Personally I'm really offended by some of this stuff,and there are some on your list that i don't see how it is offending.But there is one thing I know for sure,rap music do not advocate violence.Rap music is no worse than that Heavy metal music junk?

[svenge]

Personally I'm really offended by some of this stuff,and there are some on your list that i don't see how it is offending.But there is one thing I know for sure,rap music do not advocate violence.Rap music is no worse than that Heavy metal music junk?

Rap music is just the unfortunate genre that the music industry has packaged as "dangerous", in an attempt to win over youths wanting to be associated with something edgy and glamourous at the same time. It will probably never get the recognition it deserves as MUSIC.



Anyway, I still find myself on the fence with this sometimes. Is the burden on the offended person to control or repress their reaction to a song lyric, a burning flag, or a public display of affection? To a degree, yes. Each and every human has a certain level of sensitivity and I think controlling your reactions to things the OP listed are part of personal responsibility. In interest of protecting new and possibly unpopular or controverisal ideas, the delicate sensibilites of some might have to be sacrificed. Plus, coddling everyone with sugary PC terms is a bit insulting. It's like society's way of babytalk.

[PandaGuin]

I've been abused by some feminists about not being offended about the sexist way some of my customers treat me. I don't get offended because it doesn't offend me in the least.

I don't ever get offended just because everyone else is.

[sabrown100]

Why should people have the right not to be offended? Where does it stop?

-I have the right not to hear a democrat/lib-dem talking.
-I have the right never to be criticised.
-I have the right to never be sad.

I have the right is what made "Brave New World".

[PunkyBreester]

I think most people are too easily offended. I myself don't get offended easily at all, unless the person says something with the intent of being offensive. Honestly, I don't understand people who get offended with the tiniest little remark that obviously wasn't meant to be offensive at all.... people are just crazy sometimes!

[HystericalParoxysm]

I think those of you going item by item from the examples mentioned in the original post are, well, missing the point here. Please, uhm, stop that, because, as stated by the original poster, that's not the point of this thread. ;)

If you pick any of those items, -someone- will be offended by it - maybe a little, maybe a lot. Others may not find it offensive in the slightest or may actually be in favour of some of them. There are plenty of other things that may not have been mentioned as specific examples that people might find offensive or be in favour of. The point is not so much those things but that the line is different for everyone - where it should be drawn, and how/if one should express their state of being offended.

Personally, I find very little overtly offensive... actual televised murder/death, rape, any sexualization of children, racism, sexism, and people being intentional asshats about stuff. Other than that... it may be something I don't like (like toilet humour) but I don't really find it offensive exactly, just distasteful. The only thing in the above examples I find actually "offensive" is the holocaust revisionism (georgiababe - holocaust revisionism is when people basically say "the holocaust never happened" or that the events were wildly exaggerated and it wasn't really that bad) and I certainly wouldn't outlaw people being able to say that - if we outlaw people saying stupid, wrong things, how will we know who the really stupid, wrong people are? If what someone says or does doesn't outright harm you... what's the sense in getting your panties all twisted up over it?

[FurryPanda]

This is a little observation I've made- most groups don't get very offended by stuff against them. One of my freinds used to ahve a little magazine and she over several weeks, published some truly creul cartoons about various niche jobs- like rodeo clowns and rhythmic gymnasts. She got hundreds of letters protesting her "creul misrepresentation" and "vile offenseive behavior" and quite alot of joke fodder. But the thing about all of those letters? Not a one of them was from a rhythmic gymnast or rodeo clown; in fact the three letters she got from them were all very supportive and said that they thought it was funny.

So what does this say about offensiveness and PC? Only the very large minorites get offended. If you publish something very sexist, you'll get complaints from women, and if you publish something anti-African-American (That's a PC reflex) then you'll get complaints from them. However, anti-Jewish stuff, most seem to accept it and jsut continue with the gradual process of assimilation, or anti- any occupation.

Now the ones that are PRO something, that gets a lot more people offended, because if say, someone is shoving Christianity down people's throats on public radio, they will reach a not minority. This, being a majority, will whine and complain and be offended in a vocal manner.

So, I think that PC is getting a bit ridiculous, since the ones offended generally aren't the ones being targeted, at least in my experience. And if the subject isn't whether PC has gotten out of hand, then disregard the lot of that :P

[georgiababe]

(georgiababe - holocaust revisionism is when people basically say "the holocaust never happened" or that the events were wildly exaggerated and it wasn't really that bad)

Thanks. That's what I thought it was, but I didn't want to say anything just in case I had my facts incorrect.

[sayyadina_SC]

I was wondering a lot about who originally came up with the "ho-ho-ho"-thing. And I was trying to imagine a small team of people, hired to make up things like that by some fanatics, a government, a movement or whatever. It gave me a headache. I was slightly offended by the whole idea.
Other than that, I think being offended is a road to nowhere. If something seems utterly wrong, one can try to take action against it (like stopping child-porn or whatever the cause, or sharing actual knowledge and information to help people broaden their horizon), but being offended seems pretty useless. It wont change the world, but it might make your day a bit worse and your life a whole lot more complicated.

[Troll]

You have the right to be offended and the duty as a human to be offened byt certain things. Offense is one of the main reasons we actually converse as a species and it is a huge reason for our conversing and coming to terms about things, even if those terms leave one side of the argument unsatisfied.

You have the right, within certain limitations to offend others. They have the right, within certain limitations to offend you right back and I would stress using judgement in offending people as it could get you banned from boards if you sway from the rules or guidelines, or punched in the face if you decided to offend the wrong person in the wrong manner.

There is nothing wrong with having an opinion or view that someone may find offensive. There is nothing wrong with being offensive as part of a comedy routine apparently either as there seems to be at least one jab taken at whole groups of people by every comedian that some loves.

The issue is civility with and after the offense. An example would be A Purple guy who hates Blue guys and he expresses his hate for them publically saying what he feels is wrong with them. Now some Muave people are finding it offensive as well as the Purple guy. But instead of tossing out threats or throwing bottles and rioting, they discuss the differences of opinions in order to learn what created these paricular beliefs.

The problem is, everyone seems to want to fight fire with fire.

[MizzesSimmer]

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho". - That cracks me up. I will never get over that. The jolly laugh from Ol' St. nick offending the overboard PC.

Back on topic - people have the right to be offended by whatever offends them. Even if it is deemed "silly" by most. Thats what makes us the free world, freedom of thought, freedom of speech?

Although if they try to ban Santa from saying his classic string of jolly laughs, I will be first in line with a picket stating "Give Santa his HO back!"

[jefrir]

No, people do not have a right not to be offended. The idea of free speech is that everyone gets the right to express themselves, not just the people you agree with.
That said, we also have the responsibility to be considerate towards others - and that means not deliberately and needlessly causing offence.

[SenkoTwiik_SC]

There is nothing that says people have the right to NOT be offended. Unfortunately, if they did, the world would be insane with offenses and no one would be able to say anything. America is free to say what we want, and though some of them abuse it crazily, we have to take the bad with the good. I do think that people should be more polite when others are around, but never stop saying what they want completely. THough it shouldn't be a law... if people want to tone down the craziness, they will. If not, it may disturb others, but they are allowed to.

[Pixelhate]

I find very offensive that people can be offended !

[Alissa888]

If people have a right to do something, then they have to have the right to exercise or not to exercise that right (otherwise it becomes enforced) and hence, they have every right not to be offended.

[aimsme_SC]

Everyone has a right to be offended, or not. But when the place you live starts turning into a 'nanny state' for fear of offending anyone, I think that's taking it a little too far. I actually take quite a bit of offence at that- I'd much rather have the choice whether or not to be offended, so long as the offence wasn't deliberately provoked.

[Tigga07_SC]

I agree with aimsme in a way. Everyone can find someting to be offended about something. I just think it goes way to far when people ask others to change who they are to accomdate them. oh and Thank You So Much HystericalParoxsim in pointing out all those who posted by going down the list 1-11 about each example given. They totally defeated the point of the thread, just so glad some one else saw that too.
People are to quick to run around yelling how they are offended not even thinking about how they telling another person how to live their lives in it's self is offensive, or with out stopping to think of all the things they do which offends other people. But let's be honest, most of those people, the finger pointers whiners of being offended all the time, are usually the same group of people with the complex that their way of life is the only "Right" way of life and don't care if they do some serious offending. They think people should just get over it and conform to them or be "wrong" Isn't that just crazy!!
I say fly your flag, kiss you man loving man and worship marshmallows for all i care, just please don't tell some one else they are wrong when it comes to personal choices. However when those personal choces are delibrately and personally directed at degrading some one else then I say stop and keep it your self. Go find other people who like what you like and do what you do and leave the others to them selves. I hope I made sense of myself LMAO!

[Pixelhate]

Isn't an offence something intentional ? Is there a point to be offended by something that is not meant to be offensive ? Where is the limit ? Who can judge it ?
What sort of "right" are we talking about ? Legal or moral ?

[Hinoemasim]

At the risk of digression, I think there's an underlying principle to questions like this.

In the matter of whether people have a right to think/ not think or feel/ not feel a certain way, I'd have to say that yes, that right certainly exists. What qualifies the question as one for general consensus is what the person *chooses to do* because of those thoughts and/ or feelings.

Offense is an excellent example. If a person feels offended by something, what do they believe their right to feel this offense allows them to do in response? Can they place limitations or restrictions on the actions and expressions of another because of this?

If a person is offended by something, do they think their rights end where another's begin, or do they think it justifiable to claim that their offense overrides another's right to do or say whatever they find offensive?

Not being offended by- or accepting- something can be similar. Do those not offended by something think that their acceptance ends where another's right to form judgement begins? Do they think it justifiable to claim that their right to accept overrides another's right to express offense and to wish to impose limits on another's behaviors?

Social norms and behaviors are always evolving and changing. In my mind, the best yardstick is if the intention behind the action one may see as offensive or harmful is actually meant to harm or do damage. If it isn't- if it simply causes me discomfort- then I see it as my place to realise that the world isn't obliged to adapt itself to my comfort zone, opt for respect of another's values, and hope for the same respect in turn if things I see as acceptable may offend another.

[WannabeSith]

I've heard it said by some that the founding fathers when coming up with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, designed it with the intent that we should have the freedom to do as we ought, not just as we want. That said, people should be allowed to say what they please but have the moral responsibility to think about how their words may affect those around them.

[mayakii]

The "Ho-Ho-Ho" thread got me thinking. We hear a lot about PC these days, and the idea of being sensitive towards the needs of others. We also know about freedom of speech and the idea that it's the unpopular viewpoints that need protection.

Let me ask this question... do people have the right to NOT be offended? If so, where should the line be drawn?

Let me give some examples:

Santa saying "Ho Ho Ho".
Flying the Confederate Flag.
Burning the U.S. Flag.
Swastika on the tail of a WWII German aircraft/Uniforms/Nazi memorabilia.
Graphic content on cable television/movies/video games.
Anti-war protesting.
Two men kissing in public.
Holocaust revisionism.
Manger scene at a public park.
Rap lyrics advocating violence.
Centerfold in a men's locker room.

Hopefully I've caught just about everybody with those examples. The point of this debate is not to discuss the merits of any of the above... it's the fact that certain groups would find these examples of expression to be offensive, even to the point of criminalization.

What do you think?

1 - Ho Ho Ho = No, I don't care if Santa thinks I'm a hoe, because if he calls me that I'll call him a manwhore. -evillll-
2 - Flying the Confederate flag = This is kind of racist, so I'd get mad about this.
3 - Burning the U.S. flag = I'm not American, so I wouldn't get all that mad if someone burned some other country's flag, it's just a little picture with patterns on it, and I'd be cool with someone burning a Canadian flag, too, even if that is where I live.
4 - Swastika thingy = Before Hitler used it, the swastika was a sign of good luck and fertility. Once my Indian friend drew one and explained what it means in India. Apparently it's really good luck, but I had to stop her from drawing it because if anyone saw that on my desk/in my trash bin they'd think I'm an anti-semitic or a Nazi. o_o;
5 - Graphic content thingy. = I don't care, really.
6 - Anti-war protesting. = Well, are we supposed to support war?
7 - Two men kissing in public. = Please, just give gay people a break. They're just regular people who like the same gender instead of the other. Also, here's a fun fact: Not only humans can be gay. Homosexual behaviour has been observed in dolphins.
8 - Something about a park. = I don't think anybody would want to see that. =_=
9 - Rap lyrics, blah blah blah blah = As long as they aren't being played on the radio or in a public place it should be fine.
10 - Something in a men's changeroom. = Sorry, IDK what that is. -is stupid- D:

[Sta_r_obin]

If people don't become offended, the country won't move forward. If there aren't people pushing for improvement, there won't BE improvement.

I'm not saying it's okay to freak over little things that really don't mean anything at all...

But even small insults that seem like "no-big-deal" can influence future thinking and can revive old stereotypes.

EDIT: I want to add that I'm an advocate for free speech and all of that fun jazz. I just think that when you use free speech as an excuse for slander, it's not okay.