BU fans face ejection for swearing and racial taunts

[babyblues]

New rule at BU. Hockey fans are not allowed to shout obscenities. The student they quoted said that it's an infringment on his freedom of speech and that sports won't be fun anymore. Well, kid, if your idea of fun is swearing at officials and shouting obscenities at opposing players, than you have just abused your freedom of speech and you should find something else to do for fun.

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story...8?FSO1&ATT=HMA

What do you guys/gals think that free speech should mean? Does it mean the right to say whatever you please, no matter how offensive or harmful it may be to others?

P.S. Sorry, maybe this should have been in the general chat section.

[Shibby]

Dosn't the law on free speech say something about the use off offensive language, as in taunting and being agressive?

[babyblues]

Dosn't the law on free speech say something about the use off offensive language, as in taunting and being agressive?

Hmm...I don't know. I'd have to look into that.

It would seem though that you can't really keep anyone from saying whatever they want, but you can tell someone, "You know, that wasn't OK. If you do that again, go home." That person could do it again, they have the ability to do it again (anything short of removing their vocal cords won't really stop them) but they don't have the right to do it again and remain at the game. Their opportunity to do it again has been taken away. Say what you want, but be aware that there are consequences for what you say. I guess you could say that the acceptance of someone's speech is always within the confines of other values and concepts of good and right. Speech in and of itself as a value doesn't make sense. The exercise of freedom must remain within those confines of right and wrong.

I found this essay about freedom of speech. Very interesting.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freedom-speech/

[Shibby]

Well the hecklers(sp) at politician's speaches are always kicked out. But they can actually be arrested by secret service and charge with something along the lines of disrupting the peace.

[coffee-guy]

New rule at BU. Hockey fans are not allowed to shout obscenities. The student they quoted said that it's an infringment on his freedom of speech and that sports won't be fun anymore. Well, kid, if your idea of fun is swearing at officials and shouting obscenities at opposing players, than you have just abused your freedom of speech and you should find something else to do for fun.

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story...8?FSO1&ATT=HMA

What do you guys/gals think that free speech should mean? Does it mean the right to say whatever you please, no matter how offensive or harmful it may be to others?

P.S. Sorry, maybe this should have been in the general chat section.

The Supreme Court has a ruling on this somewhere - it falls under some clause in the Constitution and the best way I know to describe it is that "fighting words" are NOT covered under the rights of free speech and therefore you can easily be prosecuted for actions like this...