Re: Free speech absolutists weirdos

On Mon, 26 Aug 2024 22:59:53 +0200, D <nospam@example.net> wrote:

Actually

survey finds
Views on freedom of speech vary by political affiliation

While nine in ten Americans see freedom of speech as extremely or very
important, they differ on what constitutes a legitimate expression of
First Amendment rights, a report from the John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation finds.


Based on a Knight-Ipsos survey of 4,366 U.S. adults, including a
thousand college students, the report, Free Expression in America
Post-2020 (41 pages, PDF), found that 91 percent of respondents said
that freedom of speech was "extremely important" (63 percent) or "very
important" (28 percent) to them. While 91 percent of Republicans, 88
percent of Democrats, and 84 percent of Independents said that
citizens' free speech rights were extremely or very important to U.S.
democracy, Democrats were more likely than Independents and
Republicans to say that it was extremely or very important to prevent
people from inciting others to violence (86 percent vs. 71 percent and
68 percent), to prevent the spread of misinformation (89 percent vs.
73 percent and 63 percent), and to create an inclusive society that is
welcoming to diverse groups (85 percent vs. 73 percent and 63
percent).

According to the report, respondents were divided over what
constitutes a legitimate expression of First Amendment rights, with
Republicans more likely to say that "taking part in protests against
certifying the 2020 election results" (73 percent) and "entering the
U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to disrupt the election certification"
(33 percent) were legitimate than Independents (60 percent and 23
percent) and Democrats (39 percent and 12 percent). Republicans also
were more likely than Independents and Democrats to say that
"spreading misinformation about the 2020 election results online" (57
percent vs. 30 percent and 20 percent) and "spreading misinformation
online about the COVID-19 vaccine" (44 percent vs. 29 percent and 20
percent) were legitimate expressions of free speech. Democrats were
more likely than Independents and Republicans to say that "taking part
in the protests around racial injustice during the summer" of 2020 (85
percent vs. 75 percent and 56 percent) and "kneeling or turning away
during the national anthem? (73 percent vs. 59 percent and 35 percent)
were legitimate expressions of First Amendment rights.

The survey also found that 45 percent of all respondents believed that
the right to free speech was "secure," with Democrats more likely to
say so than Independents and Republicans (61 percent vs. 43 percent
and 28 percent). Republicans were more likely than Independents and
Democrats to say that "diversity and inclusion frequently/occasionally
conflicts with free speech rights (75 percent vs. 68 percent and 64
percent). And Black respondents (61 percent) were least likely to feel
that "people like [them]" were protected by the First Amendment,
followed by Hispanic/Latinx (81 percent), Asian American/Pacific
Islander (85 percent), and white (89 percent) respondents.

https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/views-on-freedom-of-speech-vary-by-political-affiliation-survey-finds