Re: MD Should racism be banned from the forum?

From: Charles Roghair (ctr@pacificpartssales.com)
Date: Sun Jun 27 2004 - 20:58:08 BST

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    Hello all:

    Platt, aren't you and Chomsky speaking of censorship on a legal and/or
    political level? The MOQ is a privately formed discussion group; which
    always must reserve the right to ban recurrent hateful speech as judged
    by the majority and moderator. Those who refuse to comply with the
    rules of conduct by continuously espousing justification for blatant
    racism and subsequently banned from the MOQ are far from censored. The
    Web is a vast universe with a nook a or cranny for every nut. Also, no
    one is stopping Vogel (I use Vogel for example, I know he's not the
    only one in question) from starting his own group based on nothing
    else, but generating evidence and support for racial separation,
    inequality, bogus religious dogma...just about anything actually.

    As individuals, do we allow vocal bigots into our homes, or if by
    chance, accosted by a blathering bigot on the street, do we feel
    obligated to sit and listen to his hateful rhetoric for fear of
    committing the sin of censorship? Does tip-toeing around censorship
    mean giving everyone an audience for anything they want to say? I'm
    new to this, but that would seem to represent a huge breakdown in the
    distinction of Quality.

    Someone mentioned that the MOQ has a reputation to protect and I agree.

    Also, I apologize for my initial, personal attack directed at Vogel and
    his emoticons. Having only recently joined this group, I was angry and
    disappointed at the content of this debate, but that's no excuse and I
    won't do it again.

    Best regards,

    Chuck

    On Jun 27, 2004, at 6:56 AM, Mark Steven Heyman wrote:

    > Hi all,
    >
    > Here I agree with Platt, and his good friend Chomsky. :-)
    >
    > Best,
    > msh
    >
    >
    > On 27 Jun 2004 at 8:27, Platt Holden wrote:
    >
    > Hi All:
    >
    > Is DMB suggesting that Horse censor "dangerous ideas" from this site?
    > Perhaps a few cautions are in order:
    >
    > "Censorship always protects and perpetuates every horror of the
    > prevailing forms of oppression. With us, its subtle disguises
    > increase
    > its evils by creating delusions of safety, liberty and democracy. It
    > precludes that intelligence which is necessary to hasten wholesome
    > and
    > natural social evolution." -- Theodore Schroeder
    >
    > "Thus if the First Amendment means anything in this field, it must
    > allow protests even against the moral code that the standard of the
    > day sets for the community. In other words, literature should not be
    > suppressed merely because it offends the moral code of the censor." --
    >
    > William O. Douglas
    >
    > "If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise,
    > we don't believe in it at all." -- Noam Chomsky
    >
    > Best,
    > Platt
    >
    >
    >
    >
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