Are any opinions really "fighting" words?

[cgrindley]

Everyone has a right to their opinion, granted, but some opinions drive me nuts to the point where in real life if someone expressed them I'd be willing to haul off and face the legal consequences for delivering a first rate sucker punch. What says you, DU? Are any expressed opinions worth going to the slammer for pounding out of someone?

[cgrindley]

1. I was once smacked across the face for saying that Bryan Adams sucked (nt)

[LeftishBrit]

2. Physical violence no; going ballistic in words, yes, certain things

[cgrindley]

4. What certain things? (nt)

[LeftishBrit]

8. Usually it would have to be spiteful/ slanderous remarks about someone I knew personally..

but I could also get pretty upset about certain political-type attitudes. Racism. Sneering at poor, sick or disabled people and implying that they automatically don't deserve any assistance or consideration. Enthusiasm (not merely acceptance) toward warlike actions ("Let country X beat the shit out of country Y"). Those things could get me.

[NightWatcher]

3. it pisses people off more when they wanna argue and you let them be

...mental warfare lessons I learned from my ex.

[El Pinko]

5. When I was about 19 years old, I made some ignorant remarks about American Indians...

...when I was sitting with a friend at a bar. I was popping off about alcoholism on reservations and who knows what, when my friend gently informed me that he just happened to be full-blooded Indian, and asked me if I had ever been on a reservation. He then proceeded to teach me quite a few things I needed to know in a very patient, gentle way. He would have been within his right to pop me one, or at least leave in a huff, but he didn't.

I appreciated that then, and still do now.

There are some people (Ann Coulter, Michael Savage) who will spew the most vile things for the sole purpose of hurting one group of people and giving a rise to another.

But a lot of things that people say are just based on ignorance, so unless their words aren't personally directed at ME, I'd rather use my friend's approach, and gently, calmly try to help fill them in where they are mistaken, and make a point of asking questions and listening - that seems to help.

[GodlessBiker]

6. Someone says, "I think it's perfectly okay to have sex with your seven year-old daughter."

Down goes Fraizer.

[Vanje]

7. Maybe these :

"Yeah, well, I think I'm going to vote for Nader this time."

[countryjake]

9. Other: Yours is the only face I've ever felt like punching

[Echo In Light]

10. I was in fights when I was younger. Hard to say now as such scenarios can be volatile/unpredictable

However at this point I seriously doubt I'd be moved to violence over another's words. Self defense? Now that's something else.