I’ve mentioned, quite a few times, on this blog that causing offence should not be a reason to limit someone’s speech. Just because someone takes offence at something doesn’t mean that it is offensive. That is quite clearly illustrated by a particularly bigoted woman in California.
Tressy Capps was so offended by a house flying a Mexican flag in the United States of America that she actually stopped her car, went up to the house and told them off. She called it disrespectful and that if the house wanted to fly the Mexican flag then they should move to Mexico! I hope for her sake that she never travels to New York because that’s where the headquarters of the United Nations is and there are 192 foreign flags flying proudly.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with flying a foreign flag or being proud of where one comes from. If someone takes offence with that then that is entirely on them. The home-owners apparently fly both the Mexican and the American flag but they shouldn’t need to point that out. They should only need to point out that that Capps was completely out of line. She is also wrong about them violating city codes.
The video has attracted a certain amount of emotion, from what I can gather mostly on the side of those flying the Mexican flag. While disagreeing with Capps is totally acceptable, some people have taken to sending her threats. That is not acceptable. Even if she is wrong or has appalling values, there is no justification for threats. The strangest part is, that despite all the pushback, she has no idea why people are angry with her.
Perhaps she’s not a racist but it seems that she’s either racist or xenophobic. Neither is good.
Evidence & Reason 