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Question: Do you have the right to express yourself!?
In response to a question, I saw someone respond by saying "This is an open forum, where the WRITE to express oneself should be encouraged!." (Within community guidelines obviously!.) As this answer, and most of the others, were united in their condemnation of someone who had exercised this selfsame right (and whose comments are often deleted for it), would you agree with me that there is a fair degree of hypocrisy in anyone claiming the right to self-expression, but condemning someone else for it, and in some cases, trying to deny them this right!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You have asked a deep, multi-valent, and probing question which is certain to stir up animosities!. Since it raises several interconnected issues, i will examine a few!. In theory, each person has the right of self-expression, so long as that person does not create a clear and present danger or defame another individual or abridge that individual's rights under the law!. However, this forum by its very nature places arbitrary restrictions on that freedom by imposing further sanctions!. Your response or question may be reported, though I don't bother with that sort of thing!. It seems that others may use the capacity to block you, and then defame you behind the electronic veil they erect!. I present a case in point!. TD Euwaite, in his infinite confusion, some three months ago, blocked me, thinking that I was AC Tesla; I am not!. When Tesla gave his dorsimbra an unflattering review, he awarded him Best Answer, knowing that Tesla would receive an email on his Yahoo! mail account notifying him of this "honor!." He instead would have opened the mail and seen a comment added to the Asker's Rating, a comment that named me, not Tesla, a "liar, coward, and thief!." Rather innocently, I became aware of this last evening when I opened Sin's question where she had written a dorsimbra and saw that Elaine P had pasted a link to TD's poem into her response (perhaps hoping by flattering her employer to court his favor)!. I have sent three emails to TD, but no response!. Did I try to have the question removed or report it!? No!. Is TD operating outside the law by doing such a thing!? Strictly speaking, yes!. Will I pursue the matter legally!? Maybe!. He surely owes me an apology, one every bit as public as his defamation of me!. Will I receive it!? Doubtful!.You see, we have the right to disagree, but not to defame others!. When we abuse technology to defame others, we are cowards!. I saw the comment box on ma's poem, and saw all of Ian's responses!. The poem did not offend me so much as it did him, but I respect my right to disagree with him on this matter, realizing that we are not the same person!. The poem was not a very artful poem, irrespective of all of the pointless cooing that was going on, and though i did not comment at the time I would have noted that!. It seems that there is a certain group on here (and we all know who they are; if they have not blocked you, chances are you are one of them) that knows next to nothing about reading or writing poetry, but that is terribly self-possessed despite that lack!. In this world, there are people of talent and substance who find such things revolting!. I used to care about whether these people would develop as poets, but now, months later, when I see them instead defending their irrational behavior and wallowing in their own self-imposed mediocrity, I have stopped caring!. This is a venue where talent is envied, where articulate people are shunned, and where those with a different voice or perspective, or who come to different conclusions, are demonized!. I've watched our Martian confreres as they cackle and stir the cauldron and cannot help thinking that I am watching a children's pageant!. I have probably laughed more in the last 4 or 5 months than at any time in my life, and I'm laughing at these erstwhile poets, so full of themselves, so accustomed to the phatic utterance as the standard of communication, that they have revealed perhaps too much of why they are here!. Thank you for giving me the right to express myself!. I can say for certain that I have defamed no one here tonight, because all the proof of what i have asserted is right there!. If you want to hide it, delete your accounts friends and start over, and yes, by all means, do it right next time!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hm!? Some of this sounds a lot like what my opinion might be!.

Part of the issue has little to do with the right of freely expressing, but the condemnation might happen because of the context of what was expressed or in the method that expression took place!.

As in the real world, this "forum" allows it (within guidelines) but anyone who speaks out publicly, or posts here should probably realize the possibility that 90 million have access, and not all will agree, plus some might very loudly disagree!.

Without question there are flaws in this system as well as in the real world, regarding that right, but anyone might believe that they can become a target for all manner of criticism, and either let it wash over, or simply defend, as you seem to be doing, your own right to express!.

It takes a lot of soggy tomatoes thrown to make me leave my soapbox!.

Steven WolfWww@QuestionHome@Com

I'm not sure I understand your question!.
Yes, everyone has the RIGHT to their own opinion, and the right to speak in most forums online (provided that they follow the community guidelines!.)

The other side of this coin is that the people who disagree with you, the people who don't feel that your point is valid, and the people who just like to make trouble all have the right of expression, too!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

What ever!.
Iano who made you God!?
You behave as an alcoholic does pointing your finger at everyone else and judging and misjudging, You misquote and I think that if you think older women should not have sexuality or sensuality in their makeup maybe an old fart like you should not be reading it, if it offends you!.
We are only as old as we feel!.
If you are so innocent, quit writing the things you do!. You were rude in the things you wrote in the comments, and rude is not acceptable!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To answer your question as posted, and not what could be called chatting underneath it, apparently, I do not, as the very question you are referring to which had a lovely poem in it, was violated this evening!.

maWww@QuestionHome@Com

yes, we all have the right to express ourselves, unfortunately -there are hypocrites -who report others answers, as violation of community standards-cause some people have the audacity, to give honest answers,rather than just saying what they want to hear

some sections are worse than others, I think this problem is worse in the religion and spirituality sectionWww@QuestionHome@Com

The 'right of free speech' does not include the right to spread hate!. Being cruel for the sake of being cruel is hate!.
There is a huge difference between 'free speech' and 'hate speech!.'Www@QuestionHome@Com

You need to quit stalking people and leave it be!. You aren't the freaking yahoo police, to spill forth your opinion as God!. There is only one God, and you fall far from that tree!.
Your an obsessive stalker, who has a true problem, and deserve nothing!.

*edit* If you have been blocked from someones account, that means they do not wish to hear your response!. The logical direction most people take on here is to go the other way, and not persist in posting comments on someones posts that have blocked you!. It basicly means your answer has no weight, no merit, they do not wish to hear what you have to say!. Not a tough choice!. Move on, its time to leave users that block you alone!.

- I don't post on your poems, to me they drip with hate and I find your work distasteful to me, in so many ways!.

You are stalking when persisting in posting on an account that has blocked you, how you go around the system is interesting, since no one else seems to be able to take such liberties to post on a blocked account, how do you!.
Public forum yes, opinions yes!. Harrassment - no!. and that is exactly what you are doing!. It is none of your business to judge others personally, and when they block you that means leave me alone, not go create another account and harrass more!.
Thank God I don't see you on my postings - I couldn't be happier about that if I tried!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Um!. Since you are quoting me I will respond!. That same statement said you (by name) have the right to express your views!. It then said Ma has the right to do so as well without fear of repercussion!. I don't mind having my words repeated, I do mind having them falsely misrepresented!. When you write a poem, Iano, do you get emails degrading that poem!? Ma, and the rest of us, should be allowed to write a verse, even a sensuous one, without receiving email of the type you wrote!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Dude, just don't send emails I think!. I got an ignorant email for one answer I posted which was totally in the spirit of the question!.

It went something like: What's your problem!? Remember this!? And followed up with a quote of the answer

Even that can hit you like a brick when you're used to just keeping the dialogue on the answer page itself!.

Post whatever you want in the forum itself!. The thumbs-up thumbs-down system if not abused can represent what others think of your opinion, not censure of you yourself!. I agree that the "report abuse" button is just begging to be abused!.Www@QuestionHome@Com