Colleagues
I fail to see where the freedom of speech v's civil liberty debate will get
us with this issue. To my simplistic view the issue is whether to promote
the killing of an individual because they are 'disabled' is no different
from proposing killing individuals because they are black, women, have
ginger hair or any other facile and irrelevant criteria.
Such views should be treated in similar vein to the incitment of racial
hatred.
They have no place and should not be awarded a public platform.
But as I said I hold a simplistic view!
Ed
>From: Peter Handley <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Peter Handley <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Medical Ethics Lectures...or hate speech?
>Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 14:10:43 -0000
>
>Dear Sharon, Michael et all,
>
>This is not a freedom of speech vs. civil liberties issue. Free speech is
>not opposed to civil liberties, but is itself a civil liberty and one of
>the
>foundations upon which modern liberal democracies exist. Carried to
>extremes
>this liberty, like any other liberty, does pose some level of threat to the
>equal liberty of others (such as disabled people) to express themselves.
>This would appear to be the charge against the medics in the case under
>discussion. However, as Michael rightly points out, Singer-esque arguments
>for the killingof disabled infants are not new, and should we not hope that
>as disabled people we can meet such views head-on, in well-argued,
>cool-headed debate? This is not to condone the antiquated views of these
>medics, but rather to suggest that we should by now have outgrown the
>tactics of the mob. Arguably, in shouting down such speakers, the hecklers
>at the event under discussion only succeeded in curtailing the speaker's
>right to say what he/she believed. We might not like what they have to
>say, but are we to deny them the right to say it?
>
>Best wishes,
>Peter
>
>Dr. Peter Handley
>School of Political, Social and International Studies,
>University of East Anglia,
>Norwich UK
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: slamp1 <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 5:31 PM
>Subject: Re: Medical Ethics Lectures...or hate speech?
>
>
> > hi michael,
> >
> > the example you give seems to be a freedom of speech vs. civil liberties
> > issue.
> >
> > i don't know about you but discourses supporting the killing of disabled
> > people cause me to fear for my life as a disabled person. what about the
> > rights of disabled people to not be subjected to (or tortured by) speech
>that
> > promotes and exacerbates such fears?
> >
> > i also think there is something to the argument that debating and
> > rationalizing the death of people with disabilities further devalues our
> > lives. what other minority group is expected to sit politely while the
>value
> > of their lives, or "personhood" is debated at a conference? and was
>there
>any
> > guarantee by the conference organizers that the subjects of the paper
>would be
> > given equal time to speak?
> > best, sharon lamp
> >
> >
> > >===== Original Message From Michael Peckitt
><[log in to unmask]>
> > =====
> > >The gave a Singer-esque argument for the Killing of disabled infants,
> > >amongst other issues, it gave another reason to accept Singers
>argument.
>I
> > >was not convinced - but what mkes me angry is that the people with
> > >disabillities in the auidence had probably heard it befire and worse,
>and
> > >acted like this wasa the first man to say it.
> > >
> > >Michael
> > >
> > >>From: "P. Cushing" <[log in to unmask]>
> > >>To: "Michael Peckitt" <[log in to unmask]>
> > >>Subject: Re: Medical Ethics Lectures
> > >>Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 15:19:47 -0000
> > >>
> > >>Could you elaborate on what the paper was about?
> > >>
> > >>Est ce que vous pouvez expliquez plus la theme du papier?
> > >>
> > >>PjC
> > >
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