offended?

 "He who dares not offend cannot be honest" I've been hearing that quote from Thomas Paine a lot in recent times. It's even in a television commercial for an insurance company. Car Shield is the name of the company and has received an F from the better business bureau. They certainly aren't afraid to offend my common sense! And like most insurance companies they aren't exactly being untruthful but are long on promises and short on results. I'm not really certain how they managed to decide on that quote to sell their product. I'm guessing they think I will believe their "testimonials" from real life customers and endorsements from the b-listers. Whatever the case is, it is still a valid statement from Thomas Paine.

  I'm also hearing a lot of people complaining about being offended. That tells me they are hearing the truth and don't like that one bit. Just saying offensive things isn't speaking the truth. That's a common misconception. There are those that make a living doing just that, the shock jocks, the activists and the enlightened. Comedians also use that. That's the uncomfortable laughter we hear as the audience pretends, they aren't offended by any of that. People do like to receive "permission" for supporting what they know is wrong. If everyone is doing it, it makes it alright. It's an exception to the social construct, an exception to the rule. It isn't a rule anymore if everyone just breaks it or ignores it. 

  The only true way of not offending someone is to say nothing. And that is exactly what is being proposed these days. Hate speech is a new concept in the halls of justice. It is based in a presupposition. If I say this or that it is because I hate you. Isn't that what children say to their parents? Yeah, that's exactly what they say when children are denied something. That's especially true when what is being denied is a want, not a need. Children don't say I hate you because you bought them new school clothes, new toys or a happy meal. Children will say I hate you when you say to them, no, you aren't going to do that. Hate speech is defined as: "abusive or threatening speech or writing that expresses prejudice on the basis of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or similar grounds" Expressing prejudice? What is prejudice? It's a preconceived idea about something, prejudged you could say. Well, what if the judgement is true, is that prejudice? Race, religion and sexual orientation are off limits, can't talk about those. Oh, and anything similar. If you do, that's hate speech. It's offensive.

  If we are now saying that everything is true, then no one should be offended. If emotions are the sole measure of reality, there can be no false statements. In the history of mankind emotions have been used to alter reality. The reality hasn't changed one bit however, only our perception of it. Fire still burns, we still need air to breathe, food to eat, and a male and a female to reproduce. Throughout time emotions have altered our perception, emotions are the cause of all wars, all acts of violence against others. When we are offended by any of those we react. What is being proposed as the solution today? Express no emotions, accept everything, and most of all don't offend. Just simply lie about everything and anything. As long as it pacifies the other person it is acceptable. The irony in all of that is that it supports the statement, he who dares not offend cannot be honest. 

  Freedom of speech. The first amendment to our constitution guarantees you the right to express ideas and information. The government (legal authority) cannot restrict that. It isn't defined precisely in that amendment and what exactly it means has always been decided by the supreme court. Today the court is also deciding how you can say it. The court is deciding upon the "truth." The court has already decided when you hate someone, when you're being prejudiced. They have determined it is offensive to use certain words and terminology but not offensive to burn the flag. Both acts will cause an emotional response. The court has said that obscenity isn't free speech, either in writing or in pictures. Thing is, they haven't defined what is obscene. Society's perception of that has certainly changed over the years. Has our freedom of speech changed also? Sure, seems like it when I can't just tell the truth without being accused of being homophobic, misogynistic, radical or a racist!