Seriously, my grandpa is “very MAGA”, as he calls himself, a “radconservative” or something. He is very open about his views on people being able to freely speak their minds without censorship, yet he gets REALLY mad when I say the following:

Swear words (even “hell”, “crap”, or “damn”)

Epstein Files should be released

Trump being on the Files apparently more times than God’s name appears in the book about Himself: the Bible.

Even mentioning the word “gay” or saying something about a gay couple

Trans people

Seriously, I have cousins who are grown adults, maybe mid-20s who would absolutely FREAK if I said the word “trans”. They will actually panic and say “Oh, um, maybe let’s not talk about that…” and then nervously laugh like it’s a super taboo subject.

This is NOT the 1950s.

  • FeydEnglish
    8·
    12 days ago
    1. The concept of free speech is that the government is not supposed to suppress it, not that anyone should be allowed to say whatever they want to anyone with no consequences
    2. For people like your gramps, words are weapons. They don’t care if they are logically or ideologically consistent. They make all their decisions purely on emotion, and they’ve learned that “free speech” is a magic spell that sometimes gives them an edge. You can’t treat them like honest interlocutors.
    • Viceversa@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      12 days ago

      The concept of free speech is that the government is not supposed to suppress it, not that anyone should be allowed to say whatever they want to anyone with no consequences

      This seems to be contradictory.

      • FeydEnglish
        1·
        12 days ago

        My guess is you think consequences are only things the government does? But OP going no contact with their Grandpa because he’s an asshole would also be a consequence. “Free speech” in the US sense refers to the first amendment of US constitution which only says what the government is allowed to do.

        It’s not a philosophical position that anyone holds with any seriousness in the manner of OPs gramps, because like OPs gramps, they mean they should be able to say whatever they want and people stand there and take it, but he’s going to throw a tantrum if anyone says things he disagrees with.