Tag Archives: Abuse

by Ket Garden | September 25, 2025 · 5:07 pm

“Is Hate Speech Really Free Speech?”

Freedom of speech is one of our most cherished rights, yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Where do we draw the line between free expression and harassment? When mocking becomes humiliation, and jokes turn into attacks, dignity is lost. And dignity, just like freedom, is a human right.

Freedom of speech is one of the most important rights in democratic societies. It allows people to express thoughts, ideas, and beliefs publicly without fear of government censorship or punishment. This includes spoken words, written expression, art, and the exchange of information.

But freedom of speech is not absolute. A central question remains: Is hate speech really free speech, or does it cross into something else, harassment, abuse, and the violation of human dignity?

(Picture: Reflection: When Disrespect Becomes the Norm

The public treatment of leaders is a mirror of society’s values. Since 2016, we have seen how mockery and humiliation, like the “Trump balloon,” are used not to challenge policies, but to strip a person of dignity. Whether or not one agrees with Trump, the method of ridicule says more about us than about him.

When humiliation replaces respectful disagreement, it weakens the foundations of democracy. It creates a culture where harassment becomes normalized, spreading to schools, workplaces, and everyday life. If the West tolerates public harassment at the highest levels, how can we hope to eliminate bullying and harassment among teenagers?

Freedom of speech is not a license to abuse. A society that wants to survive and grow stronger must defend both freedom and dignity, because without dignity, freedom eventually collapses.)

The Limits of Free Speech

While free speech is widely protected, democratic societies do place boundaries on it. According to the First Amendment in the U.S. and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, restrictions are lawful when necessary to protect:

Public order
National security
Public health
The rights and reputations of others

Categories such as incitement to violence, true threats, defamation, obscenity, and fraud are not protected speech. In other words, freedom of speech is not a license to abuse.

When Speech Becomes Harassment

Harassment goes beyond free expression. It is a form of discrimination that involves unwanted, offensive, intimidating, or humiliating behavior. Examples include:

Derogatory jokes, racial or ethnic slurs
Unwanted comments about religion or appearance
Pressure for sexual favors
Offensive graffiti, cartoons, or images

Harassment can take different forms:

Verbal or written (insults, threats, degrading comments)
Physical (unwanted contact, intimidation)
Visual (symbols, gestures, offensive imagery)

When harassment becomes repetitive, it turns into bullying, often leaving lasting emotional scars. At its worst, harassment and humiliation constitute psychological abuse and may even lead to criminal charges.

Freedom of Speech vs. Human Dignity

Here lies the conflict: freedom of speech is a right, but human dignity is also a right. Dignity means recognizing the intrinsic value of every human being and treating them with respect.

Mocking or humiliating people, whether powerful leaders or ordinary individuals, strips them of their dignity. It erodes respect. And if harassment is normalized at the highest levels of media and comedy, how can we expect young people in schools to learn respect and kindness?

A Question for Media and Comedians

Since 2016, comedians and media outlets have mocked, criticized, and even harassed the most powerful man on the planet. Some say it’s fair satire; others see it as relentless humiliation. But here’s the real issue: if harassment is accepted at the top of society, how can it be eliminated in classrooms, workplaces, or online communities?

The principle is simple: free speech must not become a weapon to degrade others.

Respect as the Foundation

Every person, regardless of power, status, or circumstance, deserves:

Respect: showing esteem for their humanity
Dignity: recognizing their inherent worth
Equality: treating all people fairly

Speech that destroys these values is not freedom—it’s abuse.

The Role of Platforms

In the digital era, platforms amplify speech through Section 230 protections in U.S. law, which shield platforms from being sued for user content. However, the responsibility ultimately lies with the individual: what you post online is your responsibility.

Social media can either become a space for respectful dialogue or a weapon of harassment. The choice belongs to us.

Conclusion

Free speech is vital to democracy, but it comes with responsibility. Hate speech, harassment, and humiliation are not the same as free expression; they are violations of dignity.

The way forward is not to silence voices, but to promote respect, reject harassment, and recognize that freedom without responsibility can lead to abuse.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Shinybull.com. The author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided; however, neither Shinybull.com nor the author can guarantee the accuracy of this information. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities, or other financial instruments. Shinybull.com and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

Freedom of Speech or Freedom to Offend? — The Kimmel Controversy

Jimmy Kimmel’s mocking remarks about Donald Trump’s grief after Charlie Kirk’s assassination have ignited a firestorm.
But this is about more than one comedian — it’s about how freedom of speech has turned into a demand for emotional performance, and how public debate is losing sight of responsibility.

When Jimmy Kimmel joked that Donald Trump’s grief “is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” the audience laughed, but the backlash came fast and hard. Kimmel was swiftly pulled off the air, and for many, this marked a turning point.

Critics argued that his remarks were cruel, mocking genuine human grief over the murder of a public figure. Supporters defended him, claiming it was just a joke and was protected under freedom of speech.

But this controversy goes deeper than a single comment. It highlights how the concept of freedom of speech is being stretched, sometimes misused, as a shield for abuse, ridicule, and dehumanization.

Freedom of speech is not a license to abuse

I wrote an article about Freedom of speech seven years ago, and I feel that I have a responsibility to repeat myself because this is so important. This is what I wrote:
“Freedom of speech is NOT a license to abuse — it is a responsibility.”

Concepts of freedom of speech can be found in early human rights documents. England’s Bill of Rights (1680) legally established the constitutional right of freedom of speech in Parliament, which is still in effect.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted during the French Revolution in 1789, specifically affirmed freedom of speech as an inalienable right. Article 11 states:

“The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.”

This principle is crucial. Freedom of speech was never meant to protect cruelty, slander, or targeted emotional harm. It was meant to protect debate, dissent, and the free exchange of ideas. Rights come with duties. Speech comes with consequences.

A pattern of public shaming

This is not the first time the media have been accused of demanding emotional performances and punishing anyone who doesn’t meet the script.

When Princess Diana died in 1997, Queen Elizabeth was heavily criticized by the press for not showing enough visible grief. Headlines branded her as cold and emotionless, forcing her to make a public display of mourning just to silence the criticism.

The same pattern can be seen now:
If you don’t grieve the “right way,” or if someone mocks how you grieve, it becomes a public scandal. Public emotions are staged, judged, and weaponized. And comedians, who once pushed boundaries, now risk being used as tools in that system. (Is this part of the Matrix system I wrote about in my previous article?).

The line between humor and harm

Comedy has always been about testing limits. But there’s a difference between punching up and punching down, between provoking thought and ridiculing someone’s suffering.

Mocking grief is not clever social commentary. It’s cruelty. And when it becomes normalized, it contributes to a culture where empathy is seen as weakness and cruelty is seen as courage.

Freedom of speech should protect the right to speak the truth, not the right to hurt for entertainment.

A responsibility, not a weapon

This is the lesson the Kimmel controversy should teach us.
Speech is powerful. It shapes societies, moves crowds, inspires revolutions, or sparks hatred.

We must remember: Freedom of speech is not just a right. It is a responsibility.
Because if freedom becomes a weapon, it will eventually destroy the very societies built to protect it.

“We’re not just standing at a crossroad. We’re standing on the threshold of a new era. Those who dare to seize the future will shape it. Those who hesitate will live in the shadow of those who didn’t.”

Freedom of speech is NOT a lisence to abuse – It is a responsibility!

It started the same day President Donald Trump was inaugurated. The MSM (Mainstream media) showed pictures from the day Trump was inaugurated, but it was only minutes after they opened up for ordinary people. The picture was not packed with people compared to Obama`s inauguration.

But people were watching the ceremony, and they aren`t stupid. They know that MSM tried to tell them something FAKE. A bad start for MSM, and this is back in January 2017. It`s a surprise to see that this witch hunt is still going on. They try to bring down Donald Trump.

There is no doubt that freedom of speech is understood to be fundamental in a democracy, and it has always been like that. It is thought that ancient Athens` democratic ideology of free speech may have emerged in the late 6^th or early 5^th century BC.

The values of the Roman Republic included freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Concepts of freedom of speech can be found in early human rights documents. England`s bill of Rights 1680 legally established the constitutional right of `freedom of speech in Parliament` which is still in effect.

The declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted during the French Revolution in 1789, specifically affirmed freedom of speech as an inalienable right. The Declaration provides for freedom of expression in Article 11, which states that:

The free communication of ides and opinions is one of the most precious of the right of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.

MSM is acting like a little child. They lie and produce fake news and claim they have freedom of speech.

President Trump is attacking FAKE NEWS. Not the free press or freedom of speech.

On Thursday, more than 360 newspapers coordinated an attack on Trump. They said: Stop the war on a free press, Journalists are not the enemy and so on. 360 editors together against one man reminds me of Gang Stalking mentality which is not good at all. Trump tweeted that the «Fake News Media» is the Opposition Party.

You have freedom of speech, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Shiny bull. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Shiny bull nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Shiny bull and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

Tag Archives: Abuse

Freedom of Speech or Freedom to Offend? — The Kimmel Controversy