When did "freedom of speech" come to mean "it's illegal for you to disagree with me"?

[Dreamstalker]

A "friend" in TX is particularly notorious for this. Every time I happen to disagree with him (politics, religion, unions, what have you, basically everything I've researched and he hasn't) and he knows he's losing the argument he starts trumpeting "freedom of speech! don't you support that?" When I try to point out the flaw in that logic, he just becomes a broken record.

Freedom of speech grants the right to say what one wants. Not a magic obligation for everyone to agree with you (or even listen).

So why do some people use that as ammo when they know they're losing?

[LadyBarbossa]

Maybe they're insecure in what they're saying and can't accept the fact that they might be wrong? Either that or they live in their own little world in which they feel that their opinion = FACT. I know the type

[Rapscallion]

They only use it because they're losing. In general, they're idiots for having resorted to that tack. Of course, you really need to worry when they resort to patriotism...

Rapscallion

[crazylegs]

Remind him that the constitution only protects him from an organ of the state from stopping him from exercising said rights, not a member of the public.

[Sylvia727]

"Yeah, and I'm exercising my freedom of speech to tell you that you're stupid. What, don't you support my freedom to say whatever I want?"

Hasn't failed me yet. Occasionally I've had people tell me that now they know I'm a bitch, but I just respond that this is part of the glory of having a free country.

[XCashier]

A "friend" in TX is particularly notorious for this. Every time I happen to disagree with him (politics, religion, unions, what have you, basically everything I've researched and he hasn't) and he knows he's losing the argument he starts trumpeting "freedom of speech! don't you support that?"

That's what my aunt said to me when I chided her for referring to our President Elect as a "@#$%^&* N****r".

Yes, we do have Freedom of Speech, but that doesn't mean I have to listen to somebody's bigoted blather.

[Dreamstalker]

You should have heard him going on during the debates. Part of me is tempted to call him up and gloat (he was SO sure McCain would be the one winning by a landslide), but I'm not sure I want to open that can of worms.

The guy put me on some right-wing conservative mailing list for a "pocket Constitution" (I'm pretty sure it was him; everyone else knows that if they do such a thing and I find out the result will not be fun) and claims I don't know anything about it (um, I'm not the one misquoting it at every turn).

He claimed he had the right to bash Obama because he wasn't voting, yet I who was voting wasn't allowed to do the same to McCain...for someone who trumpeted free speech that is amazingly hypocritical.

[AFPheonix]

This wouldn't be tard ex-bf, would it?

[Lace Neil Singer]

It's the same as people who invoke Godwin's Law; by abusing the rule of Freedom of Speech, it means they've lost the argument.

I remember once having a set to with an idiot on the board where I'm an admin; said idiot refused to consider any point of view but his own and eventually ended up tattling to the site owner; completely ignoring the fact that since she picked me to be admin, she trusts my judgement and would back me up. Site owner then emailed idiot back, telling him exactly that, and that he would do well to reread the forum rules again. Idiot replied with "Wah wah freedom of speech wah wah". Site owner replied that since it was her site, freedom of speech the way he was using it, ie to attack one of her admins, didn't apply. XD

[Dreamstalker]

Yup, it's him. The last actual conversation (back in early Oct when it became clear he knew bupkis about politics) ended along the lines of "I'll consider talking to you once you can defend your arguments intelligently and listen to the other side".

[DGoddess]

Maybe they're insecure in what they're saying and can't accept the fact that they might be wrong? Either that or they live in their own little world in which they feel that their opinion = FACT. I know the type

I think you hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, one of my ex's started becoming that way (I guess he still is) and it grew to the point where we couldn't even have a normal conversation.

But that's it exactly: they cannot stand the fact that someone else could possibly have a different opinion from their own. Couple that with the fact that they think everything they think and say is gospel fact, then you are dealing with a brick wall with a mouth on it.

Fortunately for me, I have no patience for brick walls - mouthy or not.

[Dreamstalker]

Unfortunately, one of my ex's started becoming that way (I guess he still is) and it grew to the point where we couldn't even have a normal conversation.

BTDT. He used to be fairly intelligent. Decided one day that college was BS, dropped out and I think it snowballed from there. He's now a closed-minded twit (I believe that was caused by lack of general mental stimulation, but then again I've always been curious about everything and can't understand why someone would hate reading).

Some of the conspiracy theories he comes up with are truly epic fail. For whatever reason, my cell phone does not work in my apartment, he claimed "it's illegal for landlords to block cell transmissions" (right, the management company has a giant celljammer pointed at the building).

If the energy some people expend in rants/conspiracy theories could be applied to more constructive pursuits, we would be fossil-fuel-independent, have a space colony somewhere, and have solved the economy/climate/issues du jour for decades to come.