At the time of writing 800,000 people have seen a woman send a tirade of vile racist abuse at a tram full of people. Thankfully, the almost universal reaction has been one of abhorrence. A woman has subsequently been arrested in connection with the incident.
My initial reaction was dismay at such an authoritarian response. We find this woman so repulsive because the views she espouses are anathema to an open liberal democracy. If we cease to tolerate such minority viewpoints, however horrible, and abandon freedom of speech then surely we are abandoning the very value-system we are seeking to protect.
On further reflection I realised I was wrong. We place limits on our freedoms all of the time. People aren't allowed to have sex in the streets merely because we believe in sexual liberty. If we didn't have limits on our behaviour there would be anarchy.
Rousseau believed one should distinguish 'natural freedom, which is limited only by the strength of the individual, from civil freedom, which is limited by the general will.' If we are to have true 'moral liberty' we must look to civil freedom, 'for to be driven by our appetites alone is slavery, while to obey a law that we have imposed on ourselves is freedom.'1.
If we are to protect freedom we can't allow this woman freedom of speech.
1. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract (1762).
With all due respect I disagree with you, when what is being said is a plethora of abuse, then it no longer qualifies as free speech, the individual in question was using language that many parents on the tram found offensive and did not want their children to over-hear. I can not personally see how this would damage freedom of speech, My opinion would be most if not nearly all parents would not want anyone using such language in front of there children. With free speech comes the responsibility of the individual to use it appropriately. Its a very fine line, people are allowed to say what they like or think, but it needs to be in contextual language itself not deemed inappropriate.
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