Should this be legal?

[Chaosblade02]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/12/03/police_warn_man_over_kkk_snowman/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6

 

http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2010/12/02/1291346134_0042/300h.jpg

 

Guy builds a KKK snowman in his front yard.

 

My vote goes for yes, because free speech is free speech, and nobody has to like it. I don't condone racism, but I support the right to free speech for racists. In fact, in protest, I am personally gonna make a KKK snowman in my front yard. Its called freedom of speech and expression. And if anyone tries to damage my house, I have the legal right in the state of Kentucky to protect my property.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Chaosblade02

[Amayakyrol]

How is a KKK snowman hate speech?

 

Biggest issue could be with his HA.

[Karasuman]

It's not necessarily out-right "hate", but it's not warm and friendly either, and quite frankly, regardless of the man's beliefs who built the snowman, it's quite childish and immature. He knows full-well what that represents and how it might affect his neighborhood, but he's too busy to think about that while "exercising his rights" to make an ass of himself.

 

Something like that could incite a less-than-pleasant ( a.k.a violent) reaction toward the man himself, his house, and the neighbors around him. Laugh at that if you wish, but with the world being as it is today, I can promise you that there are certainly individuals in this country that, having driven by and seen that, would not have hesitated to put the man in a coffin for it. That is the reality of the world we're in.

 

I'm all for free speech and protecting everyone's rights, but I really wish people would stop and think about how what they're doing might affect others in a logical sense before they do it.

 

Cheers

Edited December 17, 2010 by Karasuman

[Balagor]

We all have free speech. We also have the right/duty to think twice.

 

 

As for the snowman, he has rights too, LOL

 

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz88/Balagor/Snowmen.jpg

[Karasuman]

 

 

 

As for the snowman, he has rights too, LOL

 

lolz

[Chaosblade02]

It's not necessarily out-right "hate", but it's not warm and friendly either, and quite frankly, regardless of the man's beliefs who built the snowman, it's quite childish and immature. He knows full-well what that represents and how it might affect his neighborhood, but he's too busy to think about that while "exercising his rights" to make an ass of himself.

 

Something like that could incite a less-than-pleasant ( a.k.a violent) reaction toward the man himself, his house, and the neighbors around him. Laugh at that if you wish, but with the world being as it is today, I can promise you that there are certainly individuals in this country that, having driven by and seen that, would not have hesitated to put the man in a coffin for it. That is the reality of the world we're in.

 

I'm all for free speech and protecting everyone's rights, but I really wish people would stop and think about how what they're doing might affect others in a logical sense before they do it.

 

Cheers

 

Given that he lives in Idaho, I don't think there are too many people that would physically threaten him over this. I found it to be pretty damn funny to be honest. I am just getting tired of people QQing and using the race card over stupid stuff like this, its starting to sound like the boy who cried wolf when these people scream racist. This is free speech.

 

Where the line would be drawn in my opinion is if he put a burning cross in someones front yard, then that would be harassment.

 

“It’s such a message of hate,’’ said Amber Caldwell, who saw the snowman while visiting her cousin in the neighborhood. “My kids asked me about it, and I had to explain what that symbol means.’’

 

Oh QQ me a river, just say its an angry snowman.

 

The snowman I made isn't as good as that one, no rope or anything, just a snow man with a pointy hat.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Chaosblade02

[DarkNinja13]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen in weeks :laugh:

I dunno which is funnier.

A snowklansman or people getting all bent out of shape over it.

 

And before any of you call me insensitive, I have been the victim of discrimination/hate/intolerance myself, so if I can be amused by this, so can you.

[Karasuman]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen in weeks :laugh:

I dunno which is funnier.

A snowklansman or people getting all bent out of shape over it.

 

And before any of you call me insensitive, I have been the victim of discrimination/hate/intolerance myself, so if I can be amused by this, so can you.

 

I'm not bent out of shape over it. Do I think it was immature? Yes. But the racial part of it doesn't bother me at all. I don't get all worked up over racism. The only part that bothered me is, like I said, the logical part of it, i.e. what other people in his neighborhood might think or feel about it, for example. Sure, some would find it amusing, but apparently not everyone did because he got the cops called on him.

 

Remember that amusing is a point of view. I might think drawing a giant Nazi swastika in the snow on my front yard is amusing. But I'm pretty sure there's some in my neighborhood that would not think so. Not everyone has the same sense of humor, so, you know, a little tact here and there before you do something never hurts.

[Aurielius]

Though I am an avid supporter of the First Amendment this exercise of it is just ridiculous. How many KKK rallies can there be in Idaho? And where do they find anyone to target that far north? The most revealing portion of the news article was:

 

"Eliseuson has angered neighbors in the past by flying Aryan Nations flags at his home. At Halloween he passed out bullet casings after he said he ran out of candy."

 

Whenever I think of how low can one of my countrymen possibly go, there is always another sub basement of stupidity that opens up. Let the local ordinances do their job.

[Vagrant0]

Though I am an avid supporter of the First Amendment this exercise of it is just ridiculous. How many KKK rallies can there be in Idaho? And where do they find anyone to target that far north? The most revealing portion of the news article was:

 

"Eliseuson has angered neighbors in the past by flying Aryan Nations flags at his home. At Halloween he passed out bullet casings after he said he ran out of candy."

 

Whenever I think of how low can one of my countrymen possibly go, there is always another sub basement of stupidity that opens up. Let the local ordinances do their job.

I would agree. For every valid use of free speech you have jackasses like this who use it to purposely to offend others. This is something which is clearly intended to incite some sort of reaction in his community. Nutjobs like this are relics of a time which has long since passed, and are an insult to humanity. In my opinion people like this should still be allowed to have their free speech, but should void all right to complain when their speech results in injury, destruction of property, or loss of status as a result of their speech. It's called consequences.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Vagrant0