Instigator / Pro
27
1500
rating
9
debates
61.11%
won
Topic
#6198

Right to speech must be limited

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
9
6
Better sources
10
8
Better legibility
4
5
Better conduct
4
5

After 5 votes and with 3 points ahead, the winner is...

jonrohith
Tags
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
One day
Max argument characters
10,000
Voting period
One week
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
24
1500
rating
2
debates
50.0%
won
Description

No information

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

Conduct was equal enough, though think Con ought to have focused arguments 'purely on Pro's arguments, not on Pro at all.
Legibility, Both sides words were easy enough to read.
Sources, Both sides used 'limited sources.

Arguments,
"Right to speech must be limited"
Is 'really vague, though Pro in later round explained further they were speaking specifically of Free Speech in India,
Con reliably argued against the ambiguity of the title and Pros arguments, as well as arguing existing laws and alternative methods to dealing with Hate Speech, than further vague restriction of Speech.

More in depth RFV in comments 34, 35, 36 of debate comments.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

Con conceded the resolution in their first post by saying that speech ought to be regulated. Everything else is irrelevant, as the resolution was conceded. Pro provided a source but the argument used and the source don’t even match up. He generalizes his argument, but his source is about India specifically. Plus it is only an abstract. Tie for that. Spelling and grammar: Pro’s argument just visually was not appealing on my phone. The indentation and holding was very distracting. By contrast, Con’s was legible and helped highlight their key points, even though they had conceded the argument. Conduct is tied since there were no personal attacks by either side.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

Not sure why everyone [debate participants, voters, and commits by observers] have reduced the argument to "hate speech" specifically since ut is not a featured specificity in the Resolution, and there is not a Description, at all, perhaps an oversight by Pro [instigator], though a Description is not a required element of debate according to Debate Rules, just a very good idea which I encourage both debate participants to engage in the future. Therefore, my vote will consider discussion of hate speech as irrelevant to the debate as being anymore than an example of one type of speech. As both participants argue against it, it becomes a null point, and not a point on which either participant scores over the other. The debate must, therefore, on my opinion, score on other arguments.
Argument:
First, I find the practice of a participant asking the opponent questions which appeared construed to determine the opponent's attitude about possible debate detail an egregious tactic, rather than just making argument of the issue to which the opponent can rebut, or ignore, the latter perhaps to the opponent's detriment. That seems a much more prudent way to address the matter. Stare your own position by argument; let the opponent address it or ignore it. ro chose to pose questions in R1 and R2,
Pro argues in R1 that only humans have god-given speech, i.e., communicative skill, but other animals also express themselves and clear understanding of the "communication" is demonstrated in the predator/prey relationship, even if nothing more than demonstrating fight or flight. Con, yin fortunately, does spot make this rebuttal, but does effectively rebut by 3 R1 rebuttals: 1. Right to speech is not right to harm. 2. Misuse of rights is not a reason to remove rights. 3. Silencing speech creates fear, not safety. Pro's rebuttals to these statements do not score against them in thee following 2 rounds.
pro's R2 attempt failed: He claims he never suggested a ban on speech, but only restrictions on speech, but never defines what he means by these apparent synonyms, for clearly, he draws a distinction that is not obvious. More of the same, with Con's adequate defense of his rebuttals, scores a win on argument.
Sources:
Pro cities a poet in R1, but it does not support his argument adequately, and cites a source of hate crime data in R2, but does not qualify how it would be curtailed by shutting down hate speech, and quotes something in R3, but does not identify the source. However, Condoes not cite any surges at all, so the point must go to Pro, even though no source supports his argument.
Legibility: tie
Conduct: Pro exaggerated Con's response to a Pro question. Con answered the question: "Because speech should be fought with more speech, not silenced by fear," but Pro's exaggeration was to elevate the response "speech:" to killing an opponent; clearing aggrevating the condition Con laid down. Point to Con for his cool response to the accusation.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

Con basically concedes the resolution here by saying that punishing hate speech is a "reasonable restriction on speech" in R2. They argue against banning everyone's speech, but that's not the same as saying hate speech shouldn't be limited.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

This debate ends rather early and neither debater seems to recognize why.

A lot of this debate seems to be focused on a different topic from the one I see at the top of this page. If the topic was "The right to hate speech must be limited," then a lot of this debate would remain valid and be the focus of my RFD, but the topic doesn't include the word "hate". That's important because all Pro had to do here was demonstrate that there are any instances where the "right to speech" (which I interpret to mean all speech, not just hate speech) must be limited. And Con concedes that there are instances like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater that should not be allowed, as well as restrictions that already exist under the law that should be enforced. He ends up doing a bit of Pro's work for him.

I get why this happened, especially since Pro's argument was significantly broader than these instances, but his burdens in this debate didn't require him to win all those points. Con could have argued that Pro's burdens were higher, but to do that, he would have had to argue that we should interpret "right to speech" differently from the plain meaning of those terms. I think Con's arguments against limiting certain types of speech are valid and could have won him the debate if it had been reframed to focus on those types of speech, but given a lack of different framing, I end up awarding the debate to Pro.

Also, I agree with several of the comments on this: it's best to just ask people to vote on your debate and not tell them how to think about the arguments presented before they take a look at it. Let your arguments do the convincing @jonrohith.