Freedom Of Speech

意義 On learning what happened in Taiwan on March 20, Jackie Chan, a popular kung-fu Hong Kong actor, quipped that the presidential election was just a big "joke." Jackie, who married a Taiwanese-born girl, said what many people abroad felt about that election. To them, the whole episode - starting with the mysterious shooting in Tainan and ending with a weeklong series of mass rallies in protest against the "unfair" election - may be just like an installment of funny soap opera.But Jackie's quip does not sit well with a Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker. Parris Chang, a legislator at large, is calling for a boycott of Jackie. He wants the Government Information Office to ban Jackie's hilarious kung-fu movies and is urging the moviegoers not to see them. On learning what happened in Taiwan on March 20, Jackie Chan, a popular kung-fu Hong Kong actor, quipped that the presidential election was just a big "joke." Jackie, who married a Taiwanese-born girl, said what many people abroad felt about that election. To them, the whole episode - starting with the mysterious shooting in Tainan and ending with a weeklong series of mass rallies in protest against the "unfair" election - may be just like an installment of funny soap opera.But Jackie's quip does not sit well with a Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker. Parris Chang, a legislator at large, is calling for a boycott of Jackie. He wants the Government Information Office to ban Jackie's hilarious kung-fu movies and is urging the moviegoers not to see them. Of course the lawmaker - and everyone else in Taiwan, for that matter - has every right to demand the boycott. Taiwan is a free country. If you do not any actor or actress, you can just raise hell and organize a boycott. How that boycott is motivated simply doesn't matter. Just like a TV monitor alliance that wants advertisers to boycott two cable television networks for ballyhooing the protest rallies, including the one on March 27 in which an estimated 500,000 supporters of Kuomintang standard-bearer Lien Chan took part. Of course the lawmaker - and everyone else in Taiwan, for that matter - has every right to demand the boycott. Taiwan is a free country. If you do not any actor or actress, you can just raise hell and organize a boycott. How that boycott is motivated simply doesn't matter. Just like a TV monitor alliance that wants advertisers to boycott two cable television networks for ballyhooing the protest rallies, including the one on March 27 in which an estimated 500,000 supporters of Kuomintang standard-bearer Lien Chan took part. On the other hand, Jackie has every right to speak what he thinks and believes. That's his freedom of speech, which is constitutionally guaranteed in every democracy. It is the right of everyone to speak out what he thinks and believes without fear or interference from the government or a private group. Jackie is perfectly free to say the March 20 election is a "joke" or anything else.But it's not at all wise to start a boycott of the Hong Kong actor just for what he said about the presidential election. Does the Government Information Office dare ban Jackie's films? Do millions of Jackie fans will be persuaded to go along? Just like the boycott of the two cable TV stations, the one the legislator is attempting to organize against the popular movie star is an exercise in futility. On the other hand, Jackie has every right to speak what he thinks and believes. That's his freedom of speech, which is constitutionally guaranteed in every democracy. It is the right of everyone to speak out what he thinks and believes without fear or interference from the government or a private group. Jackie is perfectly free to say the March 20 election is a "joke" or anything else.But it's not at all wise to start a boycott of the Hong Kong actor just for what he said about the presidential election. Does the Government Information Office dare ban Jackie's films? Do millions of Jackie fans will be persuaded to go along? Just like the boycott of the two cable TV stations, the one the legislator is attempting to organize against the popular movie star is an exercise in futility. 資料來源 : 資料來源 :

心得 I think the freedom of speech is very important. I think the freedom of speech is very important. Because this times have changed, Because this times have changed, Not like before was the old fashion people think they say. Not like before was the old fashion people think they say. But we still have to be careful what we say in public place. But we still have to be careful what we say in public place.