🚀 go-pugleaf

John M Atkinson (jatkinso@ANTISPAMgmu.edu) wrote:
: Well, see, my question is that if I walk up to a randomly selected person and
: start screaming epithets in his face, and he decks me-that's fighting words,
: right?  BUT if I put those same words on a canvass, or make it part of a
: political speech, they appear to be acceptable.  

I would argue that you have a right to say it - but I err on the side of
caution and don't generally believe that words, in and of themeselves, and
enough to justify violence against anotehr person.  Neverthless, I'll have
to review my texts for the specific argument regarding fighting words.  It
is my recollection that as a body of speech "fighting words" are in most
cases protected - which is why I said ti was a gray area.  (MY memory is
not perfect... perhaps someone can speak to this point, I won't be near my
texts until I get home from work)

: %Whats the difference betwen a really good murder mystery and conspiracy to
: %commit murder - in the eyes of the observer?  (Especially if you're not
: %sure...)

: Agatha Christie never actually reccomended that people carry through.

But what if I put a disclaimer on a text saying "Dont do this!" that 
totally lays out a plan to kill someone - sprinkle in some fictional
character names and scene settings - and one of my friends carries
it out?

I never actually recommended that people carry through.  Was it
conspiracy to commit murder, or protected speech under SLAPS?