Where does free speech end?

[ancient races]

Our nation would like to ask your opinion on the following matter:In North Pacific, the area in which we act as a ambassador, there's a nation with a Nazi-flag, and a couple of nations with offensive motto's.Should these nations be ejected from the regio for being offensive, or is this part of free speech?Personally I think these nations should be ejected, and permanently banned by the moderators of Nationstates for being offensive. What do you guys think?

[Slackervania]

Free Speech ends when the actions or speech actively intrudes and impedes the rights of others. If the nation with the Nazi flag and the nations with offensive mottos are not actively out insulting and degrading others, then they are acting perfectly within their rights. It may not make everybody happy, but unless they're on an active mission to make people miserable, it's unfair to boot them.

[ancient races]

The nations concerned have not been active for 15+ days, so may be sleeping or ghost nations. They are not actively out to make ppl miserable, but still I think they shouldn't provoke others. In the discussion I had with the UN-delegate of NP, I discovered there's a region called Nazi Land with only 1 nation called I love Hitler.. Nationstates shouldn't allow this kind of junk!Thank you for your reply Slackervania! Although I do not totally agree with your point of view, you are right that they are not actively offensive. Maybe NP could just ignore them?

[Guest]

I do not personaly like the Nazi symbol, and that is coming from an American-Greman person here, but then my Great Grandfather died in a concertration camp for giving a helping hand, but as Slackervania pointed out if they are not active then if we just leave them alone then all should be alright, to each his/hers own but if you try to force your ways upon me then except to get hammered back, that is how I try to live my life.........

[Greater Arkania]

Unless they are actively going out and harrasing people, just let them be. I remeber reciveing an invitation to go to nazi land, but I refused. I dont see it as the role of NS to filter out ideological junk. If they want to wave the nazi flag then they can.

[Katie Miyake]

Indeed. Unless they are actually out to cause mayhem (and are doing so), just let sleeping nations lie.(Edit) Also, a note about the Hitler nation, think of it this way: They confined themselves to their own little reigon. So as long as they don't start throwing slander and hate just to stay in 'Nazi character', I think everything will be OK. Banning would only serve for provocation, and hence reason to make everyone miserable.((The swastica was originally a Native American sign of peace, by the way. Kinda ironic, in a morbid way...))Go German Americans! *waves little german and american flags in her 'I just woke up 10 minutes ago' stupidity*

[bistmath]

agreed. i would only support sanctions taken against an active harasser.

[Aurellis]

There is no way to stop this, as there will always be people like that out in the world. You really can't pass laws ban this kind of stuff because then people will do it just to say they got away with it. So really unless they actively do something all you can do is grin and bear it

[Coral Islands]

As my signature says: "Your freedom stops where others' freedom starts".Pretty much the same idea as Slack, in a broader form.But here, it is more complex : you might want to RP a nazi/evil nation and therefore adopt an offensive motto and nazi flag. Anyone might do that - just for the fun of having a mean nation. This is why the mods don't generally act immediatly in such case. But of course, when the nation has very offensive speech, which is not directed at nations but at peoples, which goes beyond what would be an offensive 'diplomatic' speech between nations -- in a word, that is more OOC than IC, directed at RL targets rather than at the game -- then truly, the nation (or the guy behind it, more precisely) should be banned.This is the eternal question how to distiguish OOC speech from IC speech. [For those who would not know those terms, IC = In-Character : game/your nation's speech, actions, knowledge, etc.OOC = Out-Of-Character : real life/your life, thoughts, actions, etc.]

[Despot_Danzig]

Agreed. Where does the RP stop and RL begin? Lets face it folks, there are A LOT of people out there for which there is no discernable difference between RP and RL. Sad, yet true.In either case, my opinion is that so long as that nation or region with views that differ from my own doesn't harm me or others, so be it. If they choose to make life difficult for others, then is is my universal right to make life difficult for them. See how simple that is?

[The Monkeybutts]

If theyre just ghost nations (or inactive) then leave em alone theyre not harrassing. for some people the nazi symbol is as much a part of thier heritage as say leprechauns are for those of Irish decent. Unless there is active harrassement there really isnt anything we can do...is there?