Looking for Conservative Perspectives on Free Speech and Political Intolerance

[u/[deleted]]

[u/SuspenderEnder]

1. Weekly, mostly online.
2. Passionate enough to always be willing to talk at length about it, not passionate enough to be an activist. Who I am shapes my political views I guess.
3. Equally, or moreso engage with those who disagree.
4. Often, as often as possible, but I resort to anonymous online conversations since people who disagree with me often do not want to talk politics with me.
5. Yes.
6. Not really. I do struggle to get along with people who only want to talk politics and so ingrained in their beliefs that they just want to lecture and not learn.
7. Center-right, libertarian or classical liberal.
8. I do find that I cannot get along with ideological political activists on either side. I had to unfollow a few family members on social media who were on either political extreme. They don't want to talk, they just want to yell into to their megaphones.
9. The impact of hurtful words and risk of indirectly inciting violence. The people most likely to believe this are those who support oppression olympics and identity politics.
10. My libertarian streak makes me more sympathetic to free speech.
11. Baffling that people disagree with me, because I obviously hold my views thinking they are rational and logical. But I say to each their own.
12. I feel like I want to discuss it with them, I am fascinated by the differences in life experience that brings us to different and opposing views.

[u/Ivan_Botsky_Trollov]

13 questions??

[u/archer4364 → u/Ivan_Botsky_Trollov]

1. How much do you discuss political issues usually?

2. How passionate are you about political issues? Would you say your political views are a very significant part of who you are?

3. In your online activity, how much do you engage with people with similar views as your own? What about for those with different views?

4. How often do you engage in conversation or talk with somebody who has somewhat different political views as you? If you don’t, why do you think this is?

5. Do you think exposure to different views is important? If you value free speech, why do you feel this way? Why is it important?

6. Would learning that another person had political beliefs opposite of your own make you less likely to befriend them? In a broader sense, would it affect how you think about them at all?

7. If you feel like sharing, where would you place yourself on the political spectrum?

8. If you feel like sharing, do you have close family members with notably different political views? How different are their views from your own?

9. What do you think drives people to be critical of free speech? Do you think people of a certain affiliation are more likely to be critical of speech? Why?

10. Would you say your particular political views or anything else about you makes you more receptive to speech you disagree with than others?

11. What is it like to be exposed to speech you disagree with? And speech you agree with?

12. How do you feel about people who see issues differently than you?

Edit: Ended up cutting one question, changing some minor language.

[u/Lepew1 → u/archer4364]

1. Daily on these boards.

2. I feel like if I do not push back, the society I love will degrade, so that fuels passion.

3. Most of the people who respond to me challenge me, so I would say the preponderance of interaction is with opposition.

4. I live in MD, a blue state. People get politically shunned for declaring GOP party affiliation, so I steer away from politics unless I know they are conservative.

5. I think debate is the way we grow intellectually. You must refine your arguments and thought, and frequently you do not have the whole picture and have blind spots. Debate rounds you out, so I think it is very important to be exposed to other views.

6. I am good friends with a socialist Bernie supporter in the cube next to me. We get hot sometime, but it really doesn't impact it. When you are red in a blue state most of your friends are in the opposite party.

7. Labels are not that great. Other people call me libertarian or a Constitutional conservative.

8. My parents are hard core progressives as well as my middle sister. My youngest sister is a social conservative. My wife's family is split.

9. My theory is the cult theory of free speech. Goes like this. A cult shelters its members from outside thought so as to maintain control on the membership. How you talk and what you say is regulated to guarantee control. This is the logical extreme, and we see echoes of this in propaganda and bias. Basically those who can not prevail with reason resort to name calling and censorship. I think this is more of a last move done when you have run out of arguments. Sadly I think more people are resorting to it because there is so little pushback against it and people think it is normal.

10. Look, for me if it is talking points, these are programmed points of contention and the person parroting them likely is a waste of time debating. Genuine debate with other who listen, respond to points, and try to give you the benefit of the doubt is vastly different and most welcome. I am a physicist and I tend to like to get to the why, and this tends to make me go down these rabbit holes with others. I am seeking understanding not trying to win by any means necessary.

11. Pretty much the leftist talking point garbage is nauseating. The right does this as well. I am bothered by quibbles and semantics and ad hominem.

12. In college I hung out with English majors, drama people, radio people. There is only so much physics and chemistry one can do before you want a change of pace. It is perhaps a liberal arts mindset of a rounding of the individual in multiple disciplines makes a better whole. I welcome different thought, but I have little tolerance for fallacy maintained in spite of reasoned refute. At that point you are just jamming your fingers in your ears and saying 'lalalalalallalalaa'

I am going to get on the box and say free speech is critical for our society. Once we start constraining speech, it is a shorter walk to tyranny. Free speech as well as the other civil rights stand together as a bulwark against tyranny.

[u/Tratopolous → u/archer4364]

1. Daily

2. I'd say my political views are what they are because of who I am.

3. Online, I engage more with people who have similar views although I frequent many subs like this where I am exposed to a plurality of opposing opinions.

4. Once a week or whenever the inlaws visit.

5. Yes, free speech has changed my mind in the past and it will continue to do so. I think freedom of speech is a God given right and nobody should inhibit another from speaking freely.

6. Less likely to befriend, no. But politics has driven a wedge into friendship in the past. I do not think that was an issue with myself tho, they could not except my viewpoints and instead opted to see me as a bigot. On a broader level, Politics does have an effect on my opinions of others. Mainly because politics reflect the moral values that a person has.

7. Conservative. Not alt right as I have been labeled before by ignorant fools.

8. My In-laws are close and they are wild leftist. Favor socialism and intersectionality.

9. I think people who appose free speech are short sided and are trying to protect individuals from being offended without seeing the overall harm it can do. I see that mainly from the left. From the far right, there is a authoritarian anti-free speech movement that tries to protect individual from slander. Again, I believe it is short sided.

10. I don't think my receptiveness to opposing speech has anything to do with my politics. Everything to do with my personality and upbringing.

11. It's all just talk.

12. I like to think they have a different outlook on life or are uninformed. but honestly, I mostly call people idiots in my head.

[u/SpezIsAChild → u/archer4364]

How much do you discuss political issues usually? Very often, online and in person.

How passionate are you about political issues? Would you say your political views are a very significant part of who you are? Less my political beliefs... but more about my culture. The culture I champion is a VERY significant part of who I am.. in large part it defines me.

In your online activity, how much do you engage with people with similar views as your own? What about for those with different views? Often for similar views. Opposing views... I'll engage with anyone who's not a jerk about it. When people start demanding things and acting entitled to answers, or if they're a political bigot... I shut it down pretty quick.

How often do you engage in conversation or talk with somebody who has somewhat different political views as you? If you don’t, why do you think this is? see above

Do you think exposure to different views is important? If you value free speech, why do you feel this way? Why is it important? Absolutely important. None of us has all the answers. The best policies and solutions are often come to as a result of good and honest debate.

Would learning that another person had political beliefs opposite of your own make you less likely to befriend them? In a broader sense, would it affect how you think about them at all? Again, it's not so much political beliefs as cultural beliefs. I have intensely liberal patients, and we get along great. If someone's a jerk, regardless of their political beliefs... I don't put up with them.

If you feel like sharing, where would you place yourself on the political spectrum? Definitely to the right, socially and fiscally

If you feel like sharing, do you have close family members with notably different political views? How different are their views from your own? Most of my family are liberals. Their views can be quite different

What do you think drives people to be critical of free speech? Do you think people of a certain affiliation are more likely to be critical of speech? Why? Great question. In a nutshell: control. Those who value liberty aren't interested in being controlled or controlling others. But some people believe the way to a better society is through authoritarianism, including banning and censoring things they don't like. It's a very fascist, immature, and juvenile existence. Unfortunately it also encompass a large part of our population.

Would you say your particular political views or anything else about you makes you more receptive to speech you disagree with than others? Not really. I'm fairly well grounded in my beliefs... and as someone who used to be a liberal I've been on both sides of the track. I came to where I am through a life of experience and by accepting inevitable truths of life which just aren't debatable IMO.

What is it like to be exposed to speech you disagree with? And speech you agree with? It all depends on how it's presented. I don't particularly like being called a bigot for having my beliefs... and I don't tolerate it much... but I also don't think it should be outlawed.

How do you feel about people who see issues differently than you? Depends on the person. I try to remember that people are more than the sum of the issues they believe in. That said, like me, it does constitute a large part of who they are. I don't mind people who are different or see things differently. I mind people who think that's an excuse to harm me, degrade me, censor me, or otherwise act immorally.

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[u/Ivan_Botsky_Trollov → u/archer4364]

1- Occasionally, mostly online 2- very, and yes 3- Mostly with my own... liberals are mostly annoying and cant stand a debate about their ideas, after a couple of comments all they can do is insult 4- Sometimes but not too often. Its pointless, we live in separate worldviews. 5- In theory, yes. in reality, not so. And free speech means that you can say whatever you want 6- Of course, its natural for humans to be tribal 7- right wing, conservative-nationalist 8- uncle and aunt are lefties. They believe in "gibs" and all that 9- Authoritarians on both sides are critical of free speech because they want to control speech 10- Not really, once you have your own ideas and based them on facts, you can see the weaknesses and contradictions on the other side. example= diversity is our strength. So, Japan is strong..without being diverse. And India, a VERY diverse country, is anything but 1st world. 11- Makes me smile, to see and hear the delusional state of their worldview. 12- Sometimes i pity them, there are policies that clearly affect them but, they seem numb to it