Re: Freedom Forum report on the State of the First Amendment

[Colin Rafferty <craffert@ml.com>]

David Honig writes:
> At 12:55 PM 12/23/97 -0500, Colin Rafferty wrote:
>> William H Geiger writes:
>>> In <ocryb1c2i2u.fsf@ml.com>, on 12/23/97 at 10:30 AM, Colin Rafferty <craffert@ml.com> said:
>>>> Paul Bradley writes:
>> 
>>>>> Should the government be able to take action against me because I fire 
>>>>> someone for being jewish/black/homosexual???
>> 
>>>> Welcome to the 20th Century, moron.
>> 
>>> Really amazing how many so-called "freedom fighters" become STATIST if the
>>> proper buttons are pushed.
>> 
>> What are you talking about?
>> 
>> Freedom of expression is not the same as freedom of oppression.

> You aren't being oppressed the other party doesn't want to interact
> with you, unless that party is government providing base services to all
> (e.g. police/courts/border protection).

Actually, you can be.

> You *are* being oppressed if mutually consensual behavior is interfered
> with by
> others including the State.

> You *are* being oppressed if you are coerced into a relationship you don't
> want.

You are not being coerced into anything.  If you don't want to serve
food to Blacks, don't open a restaurant.  It's your choice.

By the way, you are also not allowed to dump toxic waste in your own
backyard.  Are you being oppressed?

> An employer-employee relationship is like a marriage or any other arrangement
> between adults -mutually consensual.

In a fantasy world, it is mutually consensual.  It the real world, it is 
seldom mutual.

> Colin, do you consider
> yourself oppressed when someone choses not to date you?  What about
> a rejection by someone who takes out a public advertisement in the paper?

Nope.  Of course, this has nothing to do with anything.

> Freedom is only tested when it hurts.

With freedom comes responsibility.  Decency is one of them.

-- 
Colin