• Free speech and lockdowns

    From Gordon@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jun 2 05:03:42 2025
    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual
    or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things.
    During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view
    point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal
    author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Rich80105@21:1/5 to Gordon on Tue Jun 3 17:05:23 2025
    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual >or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things.
    During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view
    point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.
    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions
    may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tony@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Tue Jun 3 07:10:11 2025
    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual >>or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things.
    During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.
    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions
    may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.
    The lockdowns resulted in free speech being limited - no question.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Crash@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Tue Jun 3 19:56:05 2025
    On Tue, 3 Jun 2025 07:10:11 -0000 (UTC), Tony
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual >>>or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things. >>>During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >>appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.
    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions
    may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.
    The lockdowns resulted in free speech being limited - no question.

    There is a difference between limiting free association by prohibiting
    all public gatherings (ie lockdowns), and prohibiting speakers from
    attending gatherings (ie refusing to allow speakers access to venues
    based on what they are judged as likely to say). With the former, any
    free speech suppression is not deliberate but a byproduct of another
    issue. With the latter free speech is deliberately suppressed.


    --
    Crash McBash

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Crash@21:1/5 to While some have objected to what Bi on Tue Jun 3 19:47:23 2025
    On Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:05:23 +1200, Rich80105 <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual >>or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things.
    During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony.

    Can you cite that? While some have objected to what Bishop said, that
    is not the same as limiting free speech.

    Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.

    So not a free speech issue.

    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions
    may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.

    You cannot seriously relate opposing a point of view as an attempt to
    suppress free speech. Suppressing free speech is removing the right
    to speak, not opposing a point of view.


    --
    Crash McBash

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Rich80105@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jun 3 22:27:45 2025
    On Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:56:05 +1200, Crash <[email protected]d>
    wrote:

    On Tue, 3 Jun 2025 07:10:11 -0000 (UTC), Tony
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual
    or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>>>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things. >>>>During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>>>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>>>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>>>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >>>appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses. >>>Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions >>>may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.
    The lockdowns resulted in free speech being limited - no question.

    There is a difference between limiting free association by prohibiting
    all public gatherings (ie lockdowns), and prohibiting speakers from
    attending gatherings (ie refusing to allow speakers access to venues
    based on what they are judged as likely to say). With the former, any
    free speech suppression is not deliberate but a byproduct of another
    issue. With the latter free speech is deliberately suppressed.

    I agree. As has been pointed out, there were plenty of ways in which
    people were able to express their opinions; the National Party
    frequently disagreed with whatever the government was doing and were
    able to have those opinions spread through print, radio and
    television; others expressed support for government actions or support
    for alternatives / resistance to government decisions, and those views
    were well canvassed by news media. There were daily briefings at which journalists were able to question and ask for reason of or what was
    done and reasons why other decisions were not made. There was a high
    level of interest and private expression of opinions over all Covid
    response decisions.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Rich80105@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jun 3 22:19:57 2025
    On Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:47:23 +1200, Crash <[email protected]d>
    wrote:

    On Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:05:23 +1200, Rich80105 <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual >>>or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things. >>>During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony.

    Can you cite that? While some have objected to what Bishop said, that
    is not the same as limiting free speech.
    Yes I did cite that - it was regarded as offensive by some, either by
    those that support the government because that sort of language is not
    expected by a Cabinet Minister, and by some National party supporters
    and many others because it was gratuitously offensive, and in context
    seen as National picking up the racist attitudes of the ACT party.
    There has been a lot of discussion about it in the news media today.
    The point was made by many people that he was entitled to express his
    opinions, but being gratuitously objectionable is not what we expect
    from a senior member of our government. The point that relates to Free
    Speech is that nobody was looking for punishment, or rules to prevent
    such stupidity in future though - New Zealand generally has a
    reasonable level of support for Free Speech.


    Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >>appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.

    So not a free speech issue.

    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions
    may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.

    You cannot seriously relate opposing a point of view as an attempt to >suppress free speech. Suppressing free speech is removing the right
    to speak, not opposing a point of view.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tony@21:1/5 to Crash on Tue Jun 3 20:54:57 2025
    Crash <[email protected]d> wrote:
    On Tue, 3 Jun 2025 07:10:11 -0000 (UTC), Tony
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an >>>>individual
    or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>>>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things. >>>>During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>>>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>>>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>>>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >>>appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses. >>>Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions >>>may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.
    The lockdowns resulted in free speech being limited - no question.

    There is a difference between limiting free association by prohibiting
    all public gatherings (ie lockdowns), and prohibiting speakers from
    attending gatherings (ie refusing to allow speakers access to venues
    based on what they are judged as likely to say). With the former, any
    free speech suppression is not deliberate but a byproduct of another
    issue. With the latter free speech is deliberately suppressed.


    --
    Crash McBash
    Yes Crash. But I did not distinguish between deliberate and otherwise. I simply said that lockdowns affected freedom of exptression. And they did.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tony@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Tue Jun 3 20:52:02 2025
    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    On Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:47:23 +1200, Crash <[email protected]d>
    wrote:

    On Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:05:23 +1200, Rich80105 <[email protected]> >>wrote:

    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an >>>>individual
    or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>>>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things. >>>>During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>>>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>>>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>>>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony.

    Can you cite that? While some have objected to what Bishop said, that
    is not the same as limiting free speech.
    Yes I did cite that - it was regarded as offensive by some, either by
    those that support the government because that sort of language is not >expected by a Cabinet Minister, and by some National party supporters
    and many others because it was gratuitously offensive, and in context
    seen as National picking up the racist attitudes of the ACT party.
    There has been a lot of discussion about it in the news media today.
    The point was made by many people that he was entitled to express his >opinions, but being gratuitously objectionable is not what we expect
    from a senior member of our government. The point that relates to Free
    Speech is that nobody was looking for punishment, or rules to prevent
    such stupidity in future though - New Zealand generally has a
    reasonable level of support for Free Speech.
    That is NOT about freedom of speech. it is about appropriate behaviour.


    Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >>>appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.

    So not a free speech issue.

    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions >>>may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.

    You cannot seriously relate opposing a point of view as an attempt to >>suppress free speech. Suppressing free speech is removing the right
    to speak, not opposing a point of view.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mutley@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Wed Jun 4 08:51:50 2025
    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:

    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual >>or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things.
    During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.
    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions
    may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.

    He was correct in what he said at the New Zealand Music Awards. The
    act was crap. Good on him for not apologizing either.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tony@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Tue Jun 3 20:53:28 2025
    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    On Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:56:05 +1200, Crash <[email protected]d>
    wrote:

    On Tue, 3 Jun 2025 07:10:11 -0000 (UTC), Tony
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an >>>>>individual
    or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>>>>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things. >>>>>During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>>>>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>>>>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>>>>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make >>>>the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >>>>appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted >>>>at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses. >>>>Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions >>>>may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.
    The lockdowns resulted in free speech being limited - no question.

    There is a difference between limiting free association by prohibiting
    all public gatherings (ie lockdowns), and prohibiting speakers from >>attending gatherings (ie refusing to allow speakers access to venues
    based on what they are judged as likely to say). With the former, any
    free speech suppression is not deliberate but a byproduct of another
    issue. With the latter free speech is deliberately suppressed.

    I agree. As has been pointed out, there were plenty of ways in which
    people were able to express their opinions;
    No that is incorrect.
    the National Party
    frequently disagreed with whatever the government was doing and were
    able to have those opinions spread through print, radio and
    television; others expressed support for government actions or support
    for alternatives / resistance to government decisions, and those views
    were well canvassed by news media. There were daily briefings at which >journalists were able to question and ask for reason of or what was
    done and reasons why other decisions were not made. There was a high
    level of interest and private expression of opinions over all Covid
    response decisions.
    This is not about politics.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Rich80105@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jun 4 10:52:16 2025
    On Wed, 04 Jun 2025 08:51:50 +1200, Mutley <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:

    On 2 Jun 2025 05:03:42 GMT, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:

    From Wikipedia

    "Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual >>>or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of >>>retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

    Lockdowns are about curbing ones liberty. Slightly different things. >>>During a covid lockdown one could use the legal methods, social media, >>>telephone etc to express ones view.

    The test of Freedom of speech comes in the response to the orginal view >>>point expressed. A verbal response is expected but shutting the orginal >>>author down is not acceptable espiscally in a democary.

    Thank you Gordon. Free Speech was discussed quite a bit in recent
    days following a comment by Chris Bishop regarding entertainment at
    the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony. Nobody disputed his right to make
    the statement, but clearly many people felt that what he said was not >>appropriate due to his position in the Government. He clearly accepted
    at least some aspects of the relatively polite verbal responses.
    Attacking journalists for questioning some publicly expressed opinions
    may however risk being seen as attacking free speech.

    He was correct in what he said at the New Zealand Music Awards. The
    act was crap. Good on him for not apologizing either.

    Bishop has said that he was not referring to the act, which he liked;
    it was the presence of Maori flags. He has also said that he should
    not have said what he did.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)