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  • Without free speech, people would be more hard-pressed to find out why this group is so bad and dangerous. I want to see more freedom of speech (in social contexts, not legal ones) for racist and other hate speech. I want us to be more accepting of the voicing of such views that we find disgusting. Darkness can't hide in the light.

    Sure, there's the very real danger that some people will be more likely to be accepting of those beliefs after being exposed by them. But I think it is more common that where there is full disclosure, people can see where those beliefs lead, and get a full picture of what they are getting themselves into. Scientology is one example of this (people might be likely to accept it after reading Dianetics, and a lot less so when reading the high-level Operating Thetan papers). But this group you mention is another: if you read they are in favor of "Britons First" or something, then it sounds a bit innocuous; if you read they are in favor of making "mixed" marriages illegal, well, then you get a better idea of what's going on.

    • I want to see more freedom of speech (in social contexts, not legal ones) for racist and other hate speech.

      I absolutely agree with you on this (is this a first?)

      When I was involved in Students Union politics in the mid-80s the National Union of Students had a policy that their meetings would have "no platform for racism or sexism". I made myself pretty unpopular in some circles by disagreeing with this quite loudly.

      People need to hear what these people believe in. And other people (i.e. us) need to

      • We agreed about some of The Two Towers, also. And about Matt's scripts. ;)

        Yes, and it disturbs me when people try to "shut up" racists, online and elsewhere. I've seen a lot of people get sucked into groups whose beliefs they wouldn't have agreed with had they fully understood them to begin with.

        But that's only part of it. The other side is that we are becoming a world that is far more integrated, people living with and interacting with people who are very different from themselves, not just racially (
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