Alec Baldwin and Freedom of Speech
Fag, Wop, Queer, Nigger, Spick, Fuck are just some words used daily by everyone at some point. Usually, they blurt out in anger or angst, directed at things or people, sometimes just to vent frustration. If someone denies ever using them, they are lying.
So, when Alec Baldwin, the movie star, was trying to get his family and young daughter into his SUV while the paparazzi were in his face, his first attempts of being polite gave way to calling a guy a "fag" and another a "nigger", there were probably other slurs being tossed out that went unheard.
It was not too long in this politically correct world before the photographer sent it viral on YouTube, as it was caught on video, and just like magic, Baldwin's world seemed to collapsed on him. His new TV show on MSNBC was cancelled, and forced to make him tell the media how much he just loves gay people and how he has always supported them in equality. He even admitted he has love some men platonically more than women.
All this over the word "fag". Where is HIS freedom of speech? It seems this right is really not a right but a conditional right on whether it may or may not offend someone. Would the same result if he has used "queer", sounds just as slurry. In fact, Baldwin (55) is from that generation when kids in the 60's used and called each other "fag" for everything they thought was disgusting or as a replacement for the word "jerk". "Queer" was a more formal and proper word for a homo. Baldwin thought nothing about using it, it just came out because he was pissed.
How many men and women use slur words in a day out of anger or when things go right or wrong? Yet, if said around your group of friends, it is okay. It is okay until someone not in that group claims to be offended and reports it to HR. Then, suddenly your freedom of speech ends and a never ending series of humble apologies occur.
It seems everyone has freedom of speech as long as nobody complains about it, whether the compliant is valid or not. Alec has being hassled on a public street by a large group of photographers. He was rushing and the camera's were in his face. He tried to be polite. But the photographer continued to be rude to get the story.
Alec has nothing to apologize for. The guy deserved being called a "fag", whether he was or not makes no difference. Alec could have used "motherfucker". He could have flipped the bird to him. But the Gay community went into a viral tailspin only because of the press and movie star was involved. They call each other fags all the time. Same with queer and other slurs. They are only bothered if it serves them in some manner, that is how they operate.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion even if it is vile. They have a right to express it in public.It use to be like that until it was not longer politically correct to do so. So much for freedom of speech.