Current Events > Survey finds that an overwhelming 85% of Americans favor free speech over PC

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http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/august_2017/73_say_freedom_of_speech_worth_dying_for

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that an overwhelming 85% of American Adults think giving people the right to free speech is more important than making sure no one is offended by what others say. Just eight percent (8%) think it’s more important to make sure no one gets offended.

This shows little change from past surveying. Eighty-three percent (83%) think it is more important for the United States to guarantee freedom of speech than it is to make sure nothing is done to offend other nations and cultures.

Seventy-three percent (73%) agree with the famous line by the 18th century French author Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it.” Only 10% disagree with that statement, but 17% are undecided.

The national survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 17 & 20, 2017 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.

Take a fucking hint liberals. Honestly, if the left wasn't so hellbent on political correctness and stopped focusing on what's offensive or not they would probably never lose to modern republicans.
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voldothegr8 posted...

if the left wasn't so hellbent on political correctness

TBH I feel like the dems have been completely hijacked
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WhinyZach posted...

Only 1000 people?

how do surveys work
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frozenshock posted...

voldothegr8 posted...

if the left wasn't so hellbent on political correctness

TBH I feel like the dems have been completely hijacked

Don't worry, the pendulum always swings. Right now, Conservatives and Republicans are the counter-culture to the established and dominant Liberals and Democrats but eventually it'll stop being cool to be the former when it takes charge and starts fucking up. This is cyclical.
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The left is all about identity politics! Now let me get back to my Republican party where we're focused on building the wall, kicking out all the immigrants, and making sure transgenders know they aren't wanted.

The complete lack of self-awareness from conservatives would be surprising if I hadn't been witnessing it for a decade.
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WhinyZach posted...

Only 1000 people?

Meh.

But I agree with the sentiment.

That's the correct sample size for the population of the US with 95% confident MOE +/- 3%.

should be more than 85% tbh

EverDownward posted...

frozenshock posted...

voldothegr8 posted...

if the left wasn't so hellbent on political correctness

TBH I feel like the dems have been completely hijacked

Don't worry, the pendulum always swings. Right now, Conservatives and Republicans are the counter-culture to the established and dominant Liberals and Democrats but eventually it'll stop being cool to be the former when it takes charge and starts fucking up. This is cyclical.

This shows little change from past surveying.

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but it's not an either/or situation
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Telephone/online though

Those are both problematic sources. I like the result though.
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Milkman5 posted...

should be more than 85% tbh

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the people who spout this "herp derp PC is stupid" are just assholes who got called out for being assholes. people really don't understand the first amendment.

AlternativeFAQS posted...

the people who spout this "herp derp PC is stupid" are just assholes who got called out for being assholes. people really don't understand the first amendment.

Alternatively, they are people who don't like restrictions placed upon the speech of anyone fearing dangerous precedent.

AlternativeFAQS posted...

the people who spout this "herp derp PC is stupid" are just assholes who got called out for being assholes. people really don't understand the first amendment.

IMO it's not really about the first amendment. It's about this culture of self censorship we've created where we're so afraid of offending anybody.
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AlternativeFAQS posted...

the people who spout this "herp derp PC is stupid" are just assholes who got called out for being assholes. people really don't understand the first amendment.

Our freedoms don't end where your feelings begin.
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voldothegr8 posted...

Our freedoms don't end where your feelings begin.

yours either

there's a huge difference between making it illegal to be a piece of shit and me telling you that you're a piece of shit when you behave like a piece of shit

the poll asked about the former point
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voldothegr8 posted...

85% of American Adults think giving people the right to free speech is more important than making sure no one is offended by what others say

This doesn't say "People should say offensive things" though.
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One thing I don't like is how this culture right now is so used to basically telling people what they should do.

You're making a movie? Oh well, you should have at least one black main character! And he shouldn't be the one who dies!

Things like that. It feels like there's an invisible 1000 page code of conduct or something about everything we should do to avoid being offensive. And some people are so concerned like, is "x" offensive and is "y" offensive, maybe we should say "z" instead?

I mean what's so fucking bad about something being offensive? It's so hard to get a job these days and the economy is in the gutter and the middle class is about to disappear into poverty and we're worried about offending people????
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15% of Americans thought it said "Dis I Like"
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voldothegr8 posted...

EverDownward posted...

frozenshock posted...

voldothegr8 posted...

if the left wasn't so hellbent on political correctness

TBH I feel like the dems have been completely hijacked

Don't worry, the pendulum always swings. Right now, Conservatives and Republicans are the counter-culture to the established and dominant Liberals and Democrats but eventually it'll stop being cool to be the former when it takes charge and starts fucking up. This is cyclical.

This shows little change from past surveying.

The moral guardians of the 80's and 90's were republicans. Now, it's the democrats. I never once argued that Americans didn't value free speech.
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frozenshock posted...

One thing I don't like is how this culture right now is so used to basically telling people what they should do.

You're making a movie? Oh well, you should have at least one black main character! And he shouldn't be the one who dies!

Things like that. It feels like there's an invisible 1000 page code of conduct or something about everything we should do to avoid being offensive. And some people are so concerned like, is "x" offensive and is "y" offensive, maybe we should say "z" instead?

I mean what's so fucking bad about something being offensive? It's so hard to get a job these days and the economy is in the gutter and the middle class is about to disappear into poverty and we're worried about offending people????

Well said
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averagejoel posted...

but it's not an either/or situation

It literally is. There aren't 'shades' of free speech. It either IS free speech, or is not.
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Anteaterking posted...

voldothegr8 posted...

85% of American Adults think giving people the right to free speech is more important than making sure no one is offended by what others say

This doesn't say "People should say offensive things" though.

But it DOES say 'stop rioting because you disagree with someone, Antifa.'
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darkjedilink posted...

averagejoel posted...

but it's not an either/or situation

It literally is. There aren't 'shades' of free speech. It either IS free speech, or is not.

yeah. and criticizing people for saying shitty things is also free speech
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how come i can't shout fire in a crowded theater if we have free speech in this country?
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Twinmold posted...

The left is all about identity politics! Now let me get back to my Republican party where we're focused on building the wall, kicking out all the immigrants, and making sure transgenders know they aren't wanted.

The complete lack of self-awareness from conservatives would be surprising if I hadn't been witnessing it for a decade.

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AlternativeFAQS posted...

the people who spout this "herp derp PC is stupid" are just assholes who got called out for being assholes. people really don't understand the first amendment.

Yep.

Free speech = "I should be able to say whatever hateful thing I want without anyone making a big deal about it!"
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