Are there some words or ideas that are so abhorrent they must be eliminated from public life regardless of the context? Or does such a subjective measure as offence inevitably result in the stifling of free expression and the ability to speak frankly on controversial subjects?

Can legal and political institutions be trusted to arbitrate on what is acceptable in public and private? Is the desire to eradicate hurtful and abusive terms from society becoming a form of censorship or are people finally addressing the soft, acceptable forms of everyday prejudice?

Join a panel of writers and activists as they debate offensive language and whether free speech has limits.

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