Confederate flag sparks free speech debate in Durham (NC)

[struggle4progress]

BY VIRGINIA BRIDGES

When Trinity Park residents woke up to someone displaying a Confederate flag on their car last week, it sparked a discussion about what is appropriate free speech in a progressive neighborhood in the heart of a progressive city.

Resident Robbie Watlington, 52, said he bought the flag in an Atlantic Beach shop and decided to put it on the windshield of his gray BMW, which was parked in his driveway facing the busy North Gregson Street thoroughfare.

Watlington bought the flag because he was worried that one day he wouldn’t be able to buy one, and “it didn’t have anything to do with race.”

“I bought it for a sun shade,” he said ...

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/article92715437.html

[Warpy]

1. Freedom of expression belongs to individuals

and Wellington is certainly free to tell his neighbors he's an asshole.

Never fear, the NC sun will soon fade that thing to near invisibility.

[struggle4progress]

3. Not sure it's the same person, but someone -- with quite similar name

living in that part of town -- seems to have an extensive criminal record

[Warpy]

4. Please pardon me

If I fail to have a case of the vapors over this.

I'd say he's giving the rest of the neighborhood fair warning.

[struggle4progress]

6. No need to ask for pardon: my working thesis is that the white supremacists

tend to be borderline individuals with serious personality problems -- and someone who says first that he "bought the flag because he was worried that one day he wouldn’t be able to buy one" and then next “I bought it for a sun shade” doesn't strike me as being all-that-well put together

So if I see evidence that suggests to me the same person has been arrested for DWI, as well as for threatening a police officer, and additionally seems to have served time for assault, it's potentially informative

[tritsofme]

2. Free speech is not always appropriate, no matter the neighborhood or the city.

[TipTok]

5. Care to expand on that?

[Warren DeMontague]

7. there are two separate questions: One is, does he have the right to do it (free speech) and two is

is he being an asshole.

The second can be subjectively argued depending on the speech and the context, but there is no question that he has the right under the 1st Amendment.

[whatthehey]

11. Saves me replying. BTW yes he does and yes he is.

[GaYellowDawg]

8. "Appropriate free speech" is an oxymoron.

Anyone who puts up a Confederate flag facing the street is a fucking racist prick. But it's his driveway and his car. He has a right to say fucking racist prick things and display fucking racist prick symbols. Who gives a damn why he bought it or what his rationalization is? He's being a fucking racist prick, and that's not illegal. Appropriate or inappropriate is a matter of opinion. Free is a matter of law.

Free speech doesn't mean "speech I agree with." It means free speech. It's why the ACLU will defend the speech of noble people and repugnant people. He has a right to be a fucking racist prick and display a fucking racist prick symbol. I have the right to walk down the street in front of that house and tell him he's a fucking racist prick for displaying it, and too damn bad if he doesn't like my free speech response.

[TipTok]

9. The standard for what qualifies as news...

... Seems to be pretty low in that area.

[linuxman]

10. We should really exclude things I disagree with from being protected speech.