Two Ways Not To Handle Free Speech

Two stories in the news offer contrasting approaches by Web companies to questions of free speech. First YouTube: reader skraps notes that the Google property has recently banned the popular atheist commentator Nick Gisburne. Gisburne had been posting videos with logical arguments against Christian beliefs; but when he turned his attention to Islam (mirror of Gisburne's video by another user), YouTube pulled the plug, saying: 'After being flagged by members of the YouTube community, and reviewed by YouTube staff, the video below has been removed due to its inappropriate nature. Due to your repeated attempts to upload inappropriate videos, your account now been permanently disabled, and your videos have been taken down.' Amazon.com provides a second example of how to react to questions of free speech. Reader theodp sends along a story in TheStreet.com about how Amazon hung up on customers wanting to comment on its continuing practice of selling animal-fighting magazines. The article notes that issues of free speech are rarely cut-and-dried, and that Amazon is doing itself no favors by going up against the Humane Society.
Update: 02/11 04:25 GMT by KD : updated Nick Gisburne link to new account.

Comments

Re:Religion

[geminidomino]

You're a Ron White fan, aren't you? :) The timbre of the second half just really seems close to one of his bits...

So much for Doing No Evil (and here come the parade of google-shills and Xian preachers to say that kowtowing to the single most retarding force in society is not evil.)

Maybe Amazon was being nice

[davmoo]

Amazon is actually being nice if all they do when someone calls to complain about what they carry is hang up. If it were me, I'd tell you to go fuck yourself, and I'd phrase it just that way.

I object highly to forcing animals to fight for entertainment. I think it should be illegal in all of the US (currently, cock fighting is pefectly legal in at least two states (New Mexico and Mississippi, if I'm not mistaken).

But I find censorship even more objectionable than that. And when a group like the Humane Society tries to force censorhip on a company, it makes me want to go bite the head off a parrot and kick a puppy, as well as go buy the very magazines they are objecting too.

As for Google, that works both ways. While I support free speech, I also support the right of the owners of a computer system to dictate how their computer system is used. If you don't like it that Google dictates what videos you can place on their service, then lease or buy your own damned server.

And its already been pointed out, correctly, that the Second Amendment applies to the government and not corporations, so I won't warm up that dead horse.

Censored and discriminated

[guruevi]

The average white (caucasian) male American between 15 and 55 is the most discriminated and censored group in the US. Sure, there might be a majority in numbers, but they are being treated as the minority in anything we do making us the oppressed group. And the main culprit seems to be scares of lawsuits because of discrimination (there is a typical law that handles such situations here in the States).

Take jobs for example: the hiring manager (especially in big corporations) sometimes HAS to hire or at least evaluate somebody of the so-called 'minority' (whether that is non-caucasian or female) whether or not they do fill the requirements so they get to present 'non-discriminating' numbers to the government.

And there are so much other examples going from social services to customer service. I am a minority group (I am not American) but I look just like any other American (except for the typical weight) and I sometimes feel that (both in job (hiring) situations and other) that I am not treated as should be and even shunned for selection until I mention that I actually moved to the States a short while ago and that I am an immigrant.

I even got selected for a job once that was totally out of my league and interests (but I needed the money) while initially the recruiter didn't sound very interested, I mentioned that I was immigrated recently and I got a job offer after the first interview. Of course I didn't keep the job (for different reason's including my interest).

Re:Mormons are Christians

[corbettw]

Mormons believe in and worship Jesus Christ as the Savior of all mankind, as the Son of God and as the only perfect man who ever lived.

Muslims believe almost the exact same thing about Jesus. Does that make them Christian?

Christians believe Jesus Christ is God, the whole "Son of God" thing is just code-speak for the fact the He is God. If you don't believe that, you're not a Christian. And Mormons don't believe that.