On 01/26/2010 05:27 PM, Jed Rothwell wrote: > > > These people are extremists but so are the editors of the Scientific > American, the Executive Director of the AIP and many others. Filing > lawsuits would not improve this situation even if it were not a > violation of free speech.
They're not the Government, so it can't be. > ... They would only be violating my free speech if they made > efforts to shut down LENR-CANR, for example with a cyber-attack or a > lawsuit. They can't violate your right to free speech, they're not the government. In the United States, your "right to free speech" refers to the fact that the government can't forbid you to say whatever you want in public. It doesn't have anything to do with your neighbor Joe punching you in the nose because he doesn't like your opinions. Unless Joe is a cop, the first amendment doesn't have *anything* to do with his expressions of anger or his efforts to shut you up. People seem to get confused about this -- a lot -- and it's worth pointing out that anything Wikipedia, or Exxon, or your neighbor Joe does to shut you up does *NOT* have *ANYTHING* to do with your first amendment right to free speech. Joe, or Exxon, or Wikipedia, on the other hand, may very well infringe your *CIVIL RIGHTS* which were codified some time back under Johnson, I think. The civil rights law has teeth and applies to individuals and NGOs. The so-called right to free speech, on the other hand, just constrains Congress and the States from making things you say illegal. You can say whatever you want about Obama, or George Bush, or King George, or Vladimir Putin, and not fear government reprisal. THAT is what "Free Speech" is about -- not about your right to get your message out on the Internet free of interference from private individuals who disagree with you. Free speech is incredibly important, but it's not a magic bullet for all communication problems. > > In my opinion, the Wikipedia people are hypocritical and they violate > their own rules about things like neutrality, objectivity and civility. > Any number of other people and organizations are guilty of this. It is > not a legal matter. It is human nature. > > - Jed >
