Tone policing concerns: Well taken, but "free thinking" is as important as "free speech"
I posted this in response to a tone policing thread a couple days ago, but thought the topic was interesting so wanted to expand my thoughts. Feel free to ignore, or chime in if you have an opinion on this subject.
When you have something to say, free speech rights give you nearly complete control of the content and delivery of that message. But knowing that the mode of transmission often complements/contradicts the content of your message (e.g. messages regarding God & faith are likely more effectively "preached" with love from a pulpit rather than angrily shouted from a streetcorner ala Westboro Baptist Church), you likely consciously or subconsciously prioritize in your head what's more important: what you want to say, or how you want to say it.
These are your choices and free speech rights give you nearly 100% control over them.
But you DO NOT and SHOULD NOT have control over how your message's content and delivery are received and interpreted. That part is controlled by everyone else as free thinking individuals; that free thinking is as much a right as your free speech right.
If you have something to say, it is YOUR JOB to frame the message so it's received and interpreted how you want it to be; it IS NOT the listener's duty or job to change their worldview/thinking to accommodate your message.
If I'm the Yale professor with a student 12 inches away from my face screeching at me at the top of her lungs, calling me names, making (in my view) outrageous accusations about my behavior, etc., no I'm not going to listen to that message.
It is not "tone policing" to say "you are out of control right now, you are making me uncomfortable (my right to interpret that, NOT YOURS), and for the sake of my safety as well as those around us, I'm not listening to this right now." People don't have to (and frankly shouldn't) stand there and absorb hate, inflammatory accusations, etc. just to avoid accusations of "tone policing."
I've had TERRIBLE things happen to me, and do I want to get in the face of those I find responsible and give them what for? Absolutely. Do I expect for a second that they'd just stand there and take it? Of course not, and neither would I if I was in their shoes.
