19 upvotes, 3 direct replies (showing 3)
View submission: /u/soccer is removed from /r/xkcd
Whoa...didn't mean to incite any anger...dang.
I'm not a fan of people going against all scholarship, research, and history just because they feel like.
As an American, I believe in the right to free speech, but I'm opposed to hate speech. Denying the holocaust, could be classified as hate speech.
But I digress. I'm always open to seeing both sides of an issue. I had a student who was a holocaust denier my second year teaching. I had him do a research paper defending that position. He had to find ten reputable sources (professors, well-known names in the field, journalists, documents from the time, etc) to prove the holocaust didn't happen. He also had to present the opposite side and find ten reputable sources claiming the Holocaust did occur. All in all, it was a great lesson in research and finding reputable sources for the student.
He told me at the time he still believed the Holocaust was made up, but a few years later he mentioned he was thinking about it more deeply.
Comment by kupiakos at 08/08/2014 at 15:34 UTC
15 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I think the difference is that in America, it's not *illegal* to deny it, but not everybody has to put up with your crap. In fact, relevant xkcd[1]!
Comment by [deleted] at 08/08/2014 at 17:14 UTC
7 upvotes, 1 direct replies
As an American, I believe in the right to free speech, but I'm opposed to hate speech.
You can't just support the right of free speech as it applies to speech *you agree with*. That undermines the entire concept.
I for one think odious points of view are better left uncensored not only because of the principle of it but because it shines a light of scrutiny on those views. Leave those things alone so the rest of us can look at them and laugh!
Comment by theprinceoftrajan at 08/08/2014 at 17:19 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Hearing an opposition argument, no matter how weak, strengthens your own argument. That's why I believe that even holocaust deniers should be allowed to speak. By silencing an opinion by force you are in a way admitting that your argument is not strong enough to hold up. Just my opinion.