It can be a tiresome experience being a free speech advocate. As an old school liberal I often find it extremely frustrating having to defend free expression from the same tired old clichés. One of the things I am often accused of is wanting to give a green light to racists and bigots. “Admit it, you just want to be free to say THAT word”, is the usual response. Depending on my mood I either pull out a John Stuart Mill quote or I say “we all find different things offensive. How far would civilisation progress if we banned everything people found offensive?”
The benefits system is designed around certain assumptionsÂ
People too often assume that life is about choices we make, rather than duties we are morally bound to take up.