"Freedom of Speech"
- by Hénock Gugsa -
Ideally, in an ideal world, what Ms. J K Rowling* says makes complete and acceptable sense. But we are not there yet, that's utopian! ....
In the real world of today, what we are seeing is the eternal struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, etc., etc. It is not possible for one side to thrive and/or to win by allowing the other side equal footing. It is not right, it seems to me, that only one side knows this fairly well and is not squeamish about squashing the other side.
In the real world of today, what we are seeing is the eternal struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, etc., etc. It is not possible for one side to thrive and/or to win by allowing the other side equal footing. It is not right, it seems to me, that only one side knows this fairly well and is not squeamish about squashing the other side.
It has actually been postulated by thinkers of yore (Socrates, Plato, etc.) that too much (unrestrained) freedom will lead to the end of democracies. I sincerely believe that we reap what we sow when we let the likes of Limbaugh, Savage, O'Reilly, the rabid evangelicals, and cuckoo birds of one kind or another to loudly run their mouths with hate and dissension.
It seems to me that reason, reasonableness, and civility have been thrown out the window, all in the name of freedom. However, I don't think that answers can be formulated if firm boundaries are delineated from the start with "either for" , "or against" types of positions.
Historically, the world has seen tyrannical governments pop up on the backs of democracies using freedom of speech; and once in power, those governments have stripped away all that freedom with goose-stepping boots. Moderation, ethical behavior, or civility are not necessarily compatible with full, unrestrained freedom of speech. And before you throw the "law of the land" ( the Constitution ) at me as an argument, please remember that laws are man-made and fragile. Their strength is dependent on how astute, learned, and wise the citizenry is!
Please understand that I am not against individualism and/or citizens' freedoms ... far from it! I am only here pointing out the dangers of people not listening to each other with all the shouting and yelling in the room. Would you allow incivility, disrespect, and chaos to rule your household if you wanted contentment of any kind in your family life?
*Ms. J K Rowling speaking at PEN America gala on 5/16/16
