Libertarianz spokesman Luke Howison congratulated Steve Crow today for his triumph over the fascism of the Auckland City Council. “Well done Steve! You have successfully taken on the closed-minded authoritarian bureaucrats of the Auckland City Council – and won!”
“Only the most politically correct ‘liberals’ like Cathy “not-in-my-backyard” Casey and the most repressed conservatives like Bob “think-of-the-children” McCoskrie would want to shut down the Boobs on Bikes parade. The brave men and women who want to take part in this event have a fundamental right to do so. Of course some people may find it offensive, but they are not being forced to attend, and they certainly don’t have to watch the parade on television or read about it in the paper.”
“This is a freedom of speech issue,” Howison explains. “A free society is incompatible with censorship – even the most offensive literature should be free to be sold to New Zealand adults.”
“Libertarianz would defend to the death the right of people like Steve Crow to present their ideas, no matter how controversial. The public of New Zealand are not so morally weak that they need state protection from impure thoughts, books or parades. Freedom of speech means the right to offend.”
Aucklanders attending Crow’s Erotica Expo should look for Libertarianz activists making the case for free speech.
Ah. And what of the limits to freedom of speech? And I’m not talking about yelling “fire” in a crowded theater.
Personally if a pack of women wish to ride their bikes topless down my road I’ll be front and center with lawnchair and a beer.
But that’s a subjective reaction.
From a realistic standpoint how far should the “right to offend” go?
Left by Jay@Soob on August 20th, 2008