Is it violating a person's right to free speech if I delete vicious hate comment

1. 80

   Earl S. Wynnposted 12 years ago

   Is it violating a person's right to free speech if I delete vicious hate comments?
   
   Is it violating a person's right to free speech if I delete vicious hate comments posted on my articles, youtube videos, blog posts, etc?
   
   

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2. 73

   jainismusposted 12 years ago

   Not at all. Freedom of expression of the right of free speech does not mean right freedom of abusing. You should delete derogatory and hate comments.

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3. 81

   Attikosposted 12 years ago

   Of course not. Freedom of thought and expression are natural rights, and in America government is expressly forbidden from interfering with them, but you are not. If it's your thread, you can edit its posts. You're not suppressing flamers' rights to speak out if, for whatever dark, twisted motives they may have, they feel compelled to. They can say it elsewhere.

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4. 0

   msorenssonposted 12 years ago

   You have every right to monitor you comment boxes..

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5. 0

   Temirahposted 12 years ago

   Free speech comes with rights and responsibilities. We have the right to free speech and a responsibility to make sure that what we say is constructive and helpful.  My (probably rather 'Pollyanna') view is that if you can't say something good then keep quiet!
   Of course you should delete nasty comments - they're usually made by trolls so don't feed them!

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6. 73

   lburmasterposted 12 years ago

   It shouldn't be. They did speak, their comments. By editing the commentary of your hubs, you are being careful of the society around you. So that should be fine.

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7. 59

   Lions Den Mediaposted 12 years ago

   No... they have to right to speech and you have the right not to listen! In other words people have the right to be idiots. There is no such thing as a responsibility to be constructive and helpful. That is utopian mythology, because one persons destructive comments or opinions are another's constructive solution.
   
   But I would caution against the over use of the word "hate". Everything these days is "hate speech" and it has become such a cliche. In fact you know it's bad when governments are passing "hate" laws as if murdering someone and then adding the fact that they did it because they "hated" the person makes it worse.
   
   Does that mean if the individual that says "I love you" and "this will hurt me more than it hurts you" before he/she murders someone is a nicer murderer? Does that mean they get only one death penalty instead of the two death penalties, because we all know the first death penalty, not a big deal, it's the second one that kills you. I know I'm off topic, but the "HATE" propaganda has gotten to me.
   
   It is annoying from the standpoint that guys have become such drama queens that I'm ashamed to be associated with the male species. If you are a real guy and you get "hate" mail hate them back and don't say anything about it. Suck-it-up...cowboy-up...man-up, what ever you do just be a man about it and NOT a postal worker. But that is "free speech" and perhaps some will complain this is hateful.

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8. 86

   Express10posted 12 years ago

   I don't think that it interferes with the right to free speech. I think you are exercising your right to the pursuit of happiness. Delete, delete, delete,

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9. 67

   Bretsukiposted 12 years ago

   Not in my opinion.  You have a right to edit comments to your posts.
   
   If someone has abused their right to Free Speech by being abusive and hurtful to you or any other commentor you are perfectly within your rights to delete such comments.
   
   Commrntors are your guests. If they were guests in your home and behaved in a manner which you felt were disrespectful, you can ask them to apologise and/or leave. You are only extending such rights to your hubs.

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10. 78

    junksellerposted 12 years ago

    My attitude is house rules. It's your house, people can be respectful or get out. Personally, in my house, I will allow quite a bit, but still there are limits.

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11. 60

    Marturionposted 12 years ago

    First off, people keep saying Freedom of speech, when it is actually freedom of Expression.  Part of expression - which is protected by the constitution - is response.  Those who post hateful comments on your hub are free to do so.  you, as moderator, are just as free to respond by deleting them.

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12. 66

    Amy Bechererposted 12 years ago

    Freedom means just that.  Free speech is the uncensored right to speak the truth as any individual sees it.  Denying anyone the ability to speak their mind, because you disagree with their opinion, is oppression.  It would be equally oppressive for you to be denied your right to disagree.  Since you have the ability and, therefore, right, to obliterate any verbiage that offends you at hubpages, you are in charge of your personal space and are within the rules of hubpages to delete what you deem "unfit".
    
    The "powers that be" at any website still make the rules.  I have found many hubpages taken down due to not operating according to the rules.  Even within a free society,  there are rules and laws that if not followed, have consequences.
    
    As night follows day, technology will continue to change and there will be those who abuse freedoms that come with the internet. Bullying has gone from the playground and classroom to anonymous, abusive heights that have resulted in suicides.  These kinds of abuses rise to criminal level and new laws will  be necessary to try to deter criminal activities that protect the innocent in cyberspace.

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13. 0

    Larry Wallposted 12 years ago

    Freedom of speech is the right to express yourself. As a former newspaper reporter and editor, we received trash from hate groups of all kinds. We did not publish it. The newspaper was privately owned and it could express its opinions. As a community service we accepted the opinions of other, but we did not accept hate mail, inflammatory or threatening submissions.
    
    Any one can write want they want, get it copied and go house to house to deliver it. They can voice their opinions at public forums. They can voice their opinions here.
    
    However, freedom speech does not mean that everyone has to carry your message for you. If support the Klan, belong to a Neo Nazi group or other such hate group your comments to me will most likely be deleted. If you threaten to blow up a building or shoot somebody, the only responsibility that others have is to make your threats known to the proper authorities and not spread your defamatory views. You cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater. You will go to jail. You cannot joke about having a bomb in your bag before boarding a plane--you will be arrested.
    
    Freedom of speech is not absolute. Freedom of speech allows you to voice your views, state your opinion, voice your support or opposition. It does not give you the right to slander, defame or fuel inflammatory situations with inaccurate and substantiated information.
    
    I say all of this as a former reporter, who irritated many public officials over the years. I was never sued. I had responses to my columns and most if not all were printed. Some we sent back and told them that some parts were not pertinent and to either rewrite or they would not be publish.
    
    Not only do you have the right to eliminate hate comments you have an obligation to eliminate anything that is submitted to you. That is a right granted to you by this forum.
    
    You also have the right to eliminate what I have said here. If my comments are ever eliminated, I will write my own Hub. Inappropriate Hubs can be withheld from publication. Freedom of the press is a right that should be cherished and never abused.

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14. 80

    Becky Katzposted 12 years ago

    They have the right to freedom of speech and we have the right to a courteous, polite comments. Threats and abuse are not polite. If they want to make a politely phrased comment disagreeing with me, I will not delete. If it is threatening and abusive, I will delete this reminder. This is not violating their freedom, it is guaranteeing our right.

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15. 79

    JamaGeneeposted 12 years ago

    Definitely not!  They exercised their right to put the comment on your articles, etc.  By deleting it, you merely exercised YOUR right not to have their thoughts connected to or associated with yours. ;D

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