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Comment by NoZebra120vClip | Hacker News Reader

The Bill of Rights is a patchwork of conditional, wishy-washy broken promises, isn't it?

If I sign up for an account on Facebook, then I agree to waive my first-amendment rights.

If I walk into any number of stores or churches or government buildings, I agree to waive my second-amendment rights.

Sixth amendment? Just keep redefining "speedy" and make enough excuses for trials delayed and justice denied.

Tenth Amendment? If a state passes a law judged odious by the Federal Government, then kiss your funding sources bye-bye!

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How does signing up for an account waive my 1st amendment rights?

> Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It doesn't.

It depends on how you define the free speech and how free it is.

You can say anything you want "in the public square" or "with a free press".

For example, go to the public library, or a government building, and they will have a little patch of land designated as the "Free Speech Z0ne" where Jehovah's witnesses and PETA fanatics camp out and hold up signs and vie for your attention.

You can go on Facebook and say stuff, but that's not "First Amendment Free Speech", that's a "private platform" and Facebook's standards control your speech there, not the First Amendment.

https://xkcd.com/1357/

This xkcd is the stupidest one in existence. I wish he would just delete it.

I am sorry but you will never convince me that private companies should have more power than the government. It's such an idiotic premise on so many levels and it blows my mind that people like you still come around with that bullshit xkcd comic as if it means anything or is a sound argument for censorship.

You don't have any first amendment rights on facebook at all, nor are they required to respect the spirit of the first amendment as a private entity.

Again your 2nd amendments can not supercede my right to keep gunners off my property. It's my property not yours. You can walk around all day with your 50 cal rifle on your property and (lots of ) public land, depending on the state

I could go on...

You don't waive your first amendment rights when you sign up for Facebook. The first amendment protects you from the government in respect to freedom of speech. Private corporations can restrict your speech and that has nothing to do with the first amendment.

Relevant XKCD: https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/free_speech.png

A lot of your complaints are with the libertarian nature of our government.

The constitution protects private dictators from interference by the government, not citizens from interference by private dictators. It’s an important distinction to remember in the USA

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