Quote:
Originally Posted by Ike Bana
We either support free speech, or we don't. Outside of threats or "shouting fire in a theater" type dangerous speech, when we start suggesting that somebody, anybody, can start qualifying what speech isn't protected, us "liberals" will hate it as much as anybody. And the whole concept will be in trouble.
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The thing about free speech is that it's a thing that the government must not prevent. This is far from the same thing as protecting it from public protest. No, I don't think the actions of the two shooters in Texas is legitimate protest. That doesn't mean that someone exercising their right to free speech is absolved from any responsibility for whatever they say.
In the light of recent events like the Charlie Hebdo and Boston Marathon massacres, Geller
must have anticipated that the reaction to this infantile "contest" could be violent in the extreme. The police presence at the event should be ample proof of that. It's even likely that she viewed an attack on the event as a desirable outcome.
In my opinion, Geller bears an equal share of the blame to that borne by the dead shooters. Thank God it's only they who are dead. It could have been a lot worse.