The ugly side of free speech:
The sticker.
This sticker was stuck on a car driven by Ron Owen, a gun lobbyist and publisher of ‘pro-militia’ magazine Lock Stock & Barrel. Understandably, lesbians from Gympie weren’t too pleased when they saw it so they took Owen to Queensland’s Anti-Discrimination Tribunal.
The Tribunal found Owen guilty of inciting hatred against homosexuals and awarded two of the women who were offended $5000 and a third $2500 in damages.
But is throwing money around the answer? Who wins? Retaliating with alternative speech is a better start.
Mr Rangiah [a Tribunal member] acknowledged Mr Owen’s right to free speech, but said he had gone too far with the bumper sticker and in ensuing comments made during a television interview, in a report to a subsequent council meeting and in a letter on his website.
“Ron Owen is entitled to be a homophobe and he is entitled to publicly express his homophobic views,” he said. “That much is required in a society that values freedom of thought and expression. However there are limits.”
If the Tribunal says the sticker incites hatred and causes offence, what do they think Leviticus 20:13 does?
‘If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.’
5 comments
Adam says:
Sep 24, 2008
ROFL So do this mean I am now allowed to sue those who publish the bible for hate speech?
Surely leviticus 20:13 in every published bible is just as malicious as his bumper sticker?
While i may not like parts of what is written in the bible or any other religious text for that matter i really don’t think i have the right to spoil it for everyone who does like them.
I say leave the homophobe hick to his ways eventually he will die and the world will be better for it.
Mike says:
Sep 25, 2008
Stick that page to your cars bumper bar and see what happens. Think of it like a Mythbusters type experiment.
tammy hdz says:
May 25, 2009
im tired of people throwing hatred at the gay community, im my self gay i am a bisexual but seariuosly heterosexual men and women sometimes treat homosexual people like they are just somekind of other species or “monsters” as they say, it is ridiculous seariously they cant adopt in some states they cant even get married in some states this is bulls**t, they are people they have flesh, they have bones, they have souls, and most of all they have feelings… only because they are homosexual doesnt mean they are monsters, or not human.. but if you still think they are monster, then think what makes you a human?
Bill says:
Apr 7, 2011
Its a terrible message and should not occur.
But we do need to protect free speech so it can’t be eradicated by force. That never works.
At the same time, this type of gay bashing is getting old. It doesn’t have the same impact. Yes it offends, but I think more and more people pay less and less attention to this type of message when they see it.
The more we ignore it, the sooner it goes away
mike says:
Oct 24, 2011
I think that people make this stuff up because weather any one likes it or not we all know that god has always said accept all and love all. He would not put us on this earth if we were not made his way.