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A couple of notes:
Unless you're in Germany, "our" right to free speach hasn't been impacted at all. We (the American "we") can still do whatever we want, although I doubt many people are going to rush for opera tickets anytime soon.
Regardless of where this is taking place, how is self-censorship any sort of abridgement of free speach rights? I can say that everyone on this board is a moron (not that I believe it), but I don't because its rude to say. I don't particularly care for evangelical Christians trying to convert me, but I'm not rude about it. Sure, I could get in a shouting match about who's right and who's going to hell, but it's not worth the hassle. How is this any different? If an American theater pulled the plug on a production of a show that depicted Christ being buttfucked by a pair of Japanese samuris because it was too controversial and they didn't want to deal with the headaches associated with it, it wouldn't make many headlines.
Remember, this is a business decision. No one has told the theater not to put on this opera. They consulted with the authorities who confirmed no specific threat but said that they thought it was a bad idea. How is this anything other than a prudent business decision? If an insurance company doesn't want to write wind coverage for an office building in downtown Miami, it's the exact same thing as far as I'm concerned. One just happens to make a better headline.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo
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