THOUGHTS BY JOE

Joe Esposito

"CENSORSHIP AND THE 'FACEBOOK THOUGHT POLICE'"

Offensive expression is what exactly needs protecting. It is the only speech that needs protection. No one complains about non offensive speech. If you are going to allow censorship of any form then you have to give the government the ability to decide what they feel is offensive. How easy is that to be abused?? This a use by government is what the Founding Fathers wanted to prevent by freedom of speech. How long before some religious or political speech would become offensive and censored?? Living in a free society you are going to be exposed to things and people that may be offensive to you. The point is that everyone has different ideas about what is offensive. Do we want to give the power to someone else to decide what is acceptable. If you don't like what is written on Facebook don't read it!! Don't tell me what I can or cannot write. Use the damn BLOCK option. I've used it many times when people write things that annoy the hell out of me. 1984 was a powerful work of fiction. I never dreamed we would be living it!!