A free society needs free speech and it needs freedom of expression through art. Without that, we can not say that we are free and freedom is something I take really seriously. It is one of those things that I will always defend. Living in the country that I do and in the time that I do, one would think that I am free. Am I really? I try to be and I try to keep my zen state of mind in check as often as I can but then stupid people come and my aggressive side comes out to the surface. Happy fairy grows horns and wants to bite. It is a natural defensive mechanism, better that than hiding in a hole and crying. Why? Because there is nothing more sacred to me than my freedom and when I sense that someone is trying to shush me... Well, let's just say that I do not like being shushed...
Royality free photo, Pixabay, author: geralt, adapted by me
To provide you with some helpful context; I live in a European country and I live in the capital of it, the year is 2018. Plays in theaters are canceled because they offend certain people, music concerts and exhibitions are canceled because they offend certain people and even flowers are being destroyed because they are not in the right shape and color, I kid you not, a man came with a tractor and destroyed the red flowers that were planted in one city. Terrified yet? Online world and nature are my escapes from the harsh reality I live in. Sometimes George Orwell's 1984 comes to mind and I just want to run away from all the idiots I am surrounded with.
Free speech is the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, by any means.'
Amnesty International
In cases where our opinion does not lead to an objective harm, we are free to express ourselves however we please and should not be censored by anyone anytime. There is some criticism to this that says how offending is a type of harm and should, therefore, be banned in some way. This is a slippery slope because people are diverse in their nature.
People often allow their inner insulted child to come out. We all have that child inside us that wants to defend our mom when someone calls her stupid but there is a difference between those that know how to silence that child and talk to it and those that just allow it to run free. Different people get offended by different things but that will never stop me from speaking about those things or criticizing them. It is impossible to censor every idea that offends someone because that would mean we should stop talking, all of us.
Freedom of speech is the freedom to criticise ideas, philosophies, and opinions. How would we ever address bad ideas and bad things that are going on if we have to worry our words would hurt those they are directed at? Sure, there are demeaning opinions that come from ignorance and their intention is to hurt but do you really think that denying people to express their offensive views will make those views go away? It will not. We have to challenge those opinions with rational thinking and facts. We have to educate people and teach them how to participate in the discussion.
Things that are causing the most problems are religion and nationality (at least in my country). Many religions are enforcing opinions and views on people and they hold great power over them. Challenging those views is ensuring safety and freedom. We should always question everything and fight against propaganda about universal truths and blind faith. Well, if you want to believe in something blindly, go right ahead, I do not have any problem with that but what I do have a problem with is when people get offended when I say that is stupid. Why does my opinion offend you? You can call me stupid and it will not offend me and you know why? Because I am not emotionally attached to your opinion and I do not base my sense of value as a human being on acceptance and approval of others. You should try that. Instead of screaming at me or trying to shush me when I say something you do not agree with, try not take things so personally. Not everything in this world revolves around you. Nothing really does. This is how you look when you try to silence those that you do not approve of:
Royality free photo, Pixabay,
author: Pezibear
There are people who are on a mission to offend. They do it on purpose and that purpose is to provoke. They are saying things just because they can without any need for it and are going around insulting people with an intent to insult with horrible words. That is childish too, childish and dangerous. Whenever a woman lies about being raped she undermines the suffering of those that did had that experience and she is with that lie destroying all that others are fighting for. Same goes for so-called "free speech fighters". By going around and insulting people because you want to insult them to prove a point how you have the right to say whatever you want by justification with free speech, you are doing the opposite. You are killing free speech and undermining everything that free speech is about.
Royality free photo, Pixabay,
author: emyzario
Free speech
is not hate speech!
Hate speech is not the same as free speech. Hate speech has the intention to cause harm. Free speech can criticise but it has nothing to do with hate and violence. When someone says we should kill all ____ (insert whatever religion or nationality), that is hate speech, but when someone uses sarcasm or makes a satiric play, that is free speech. Art is expressing the right of free speech. Do not shush artists, never shush artists.
Whatever you do, please do not be a hypocrite. Can you take a joke? Can you handle criticism? It is easy to promote free speech when you are the one talking but harder when people are talking about you, right? It should not be. Where is your confidence and the wish to improve yourself?
Welcome criticism,
it will help you improve yourself.
I think people have become too sensitive nowadays and get offended too easily. All philosophies, religions, political parties and all people should be confident enough to invite inquiry and criticism. To paraphrase Voltaire:
“I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Just because we do not agree with something does not mean we should censor it and you know why? By censoring those you do not agree with you are allowing others to censor you when they do not agree with you. It is a two-way thing, it always was and it always will be. If you value your freedom, value others too. I am responsible for what I say but not for your feelings about it. If you are offended by my words, art or actions, that is your problem, not mine. Find a way to deal with it. My opinion is just that, an opinion and I have the right to have it just like you have the right for yours. Do not shush me, whatever you do, do not try to shush me, ever...
Until next time,
KEEP YOUR SMILE ON!
What do you think? Should we compromise our freedom of speech so we do not offend people by it? Should we stop criticising and expressing ourselves through art and satire?
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I agree completely. There have been many disturbing cases here in the States recently where free speech has been criticized. The latest is the poem How To, which was written by a white poet and published in The Nation. It used a form of African American Vernacular English. There was so much outrage from the African American community that The Nation's editors and the poet apologized. It seems they thought he did a poor job with the language, even though his intent was good. One writer even said that people should stay in their lane, suggesting that writers only write about things they have experienced. This means that a male cannot write a story with females, etc. In end, I took the reaction as largely racist and an attempt to stop free speech. Those who have been oppressed should really know better, but we see this kind of oppression more and more from all sorts of directions and groups (right and left, politically) these days. It is truly disturbing.
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It is disturbing, I find it horrible that people have become really really too sensitive these days. It almost seems like they are waiting to be offended, looking everywhere for it and just wanting to start some sort of fight. Thank you for sharing your view on this 💚
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This is an excellent treatise on the subject of free speech. I could not agree with you more.
I am very glad to hear that 💚
The problem with hate speech is that nowadays it has become a label which is also sometimes being used to censor and discriminate against some opinions which go against the government agenda, or the mainstream media´s narrative, or some leftist snowflakes get their feathers ruffled and want to forbid voicings of opinion against Islam, refugees etc by calling those opinions Nazi propaganda.
So for me it is better to let everybody voice whatever they want to say, however hateful and crazy, than to curb free speech in order to assumedly protect certain individuals and/or groups.
I think the damage done to society by curbing free speech is greater than if a few whackos abuse free speech.
You don´t get rid of crazy ideas by forbidding to voice them, by driving them underground, but by debating them.
"Hate speech" at its finest moments
Apparently this video, which got its fair share of outrage, has done more to prevent young women in the UK from joining ISIS than any other "proper", politically correct discourse.
The actresses are all brave Muslim women, who then, ridicously enough, got accused of Islamophobia by some do-gooders.
Like if a Jew says something against Israel, he might be labelled a "self-hating Jew" by some people.
The video is hilarious but it is far from being a hate speech. This is satire and satire has been around for ages and it has been enjoyed for ages. Thank you for sharing your views on this 💚
destroyed red flowers with a tractor!!!!! wow!
I love your mind and I love your boldness to speak! :) I've been missing your presence - i hope i see you today at TOTL!!! :)
Sorry I missed the TOTL, I was at the cinema with friends. I am glad you enjoyed the post honey, thank you 💚
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I used to think I lived in a free country. This recent incident, where a man living in a town near where I live was fined for publishing a satirical video in which he tried to train his girlfriend's dog to do a Nazi salute, shows how Orwellian our society has become. The fact that the man stated in the video that Nazis were "the least cute things he could think of"; the fact that he made another video in which he apologised profusely for any offence his video may have caused; the fact that he was once a supporter of the militant left-wing group Antifa did not deter the judge from fining him £800 for making a satirical video. And last week he lost his appeal. Unfortunately, causing offence actually is now a criminal offence under Scottish law. And we are a country that used to burn witches a few centuries back, so I hate to think what might be round the corner!
Sometimes I think that Orwell was a prophet and it scares me but I try to stay positive and I do see a lot more people being for free speech than against it. It is almost like we are being controlled by the sensitive minority. Thank you for sharing your views on this 💚
It is very scary. I don't think we're being controlled by the sensitive minority – I think the authorities are using the sensitive minority as a means of controlling the rest of us.
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This is such a good speech!!
Thank you 💚
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Free speech matters. I may not agree with what someone is expressing, but I agree that it's their right to be able to say what's on their mind.
Friend of mine has a "free speech display" in a public space here in town and all got shut down by the city... they got away with it by saying that he was free to display what he wanted, as long as he complied with a city ordnance that no display can take up more than a 2x6 foot space.
hahahaha, they found a way to shut him down lol. Sometimes it is funny how they still try to pretend that they are not censoring but people are smarter than that. I am sorry to hear about what happened to your friend and hope that he will find another way to express himself. Thank you for sharing your experience on this 💚
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Wow your brain is wired to be politician, teacher, mother, you are so good in many things. Upvoted and resteemed. Love the way you speak this out. 💚
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Just the word, "shush" makes my happy fairy grows horns too! LOL! And I completely agree with you that free speech
is not hate speech - it drives me bonkers sometimes that people get their panties in a bunch over something like, "That person called me stupid! HATE SPEECH! They commited a microagression towards me and I am in pain!!!!" No, actually - they stated their opinion, and if you don't like it, you have the choice to ignore it or maybe consider why they said it in the first place, and possibly grow as a person... sigh
Love the Voltaire quote - it's something we try to remember in our household of wildly varying political beliefs. 😜
Happy non-shushing, and brava to you for not being silent! 😊 💜
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Thank you girls, you are very lovely and I appreciate your support. 💚💚💚
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You are welcome... this is a post whose time has come..great job!
What a well thought post. You have expressed the problem and the solution in plain language that most can understand. Very nicely done.
"and I just want to run away from all the idiots I am surrounded with."
Where are you going to run to? Certainly not my country which has long prided itself as the bastion of free speech. It hasn't been, at least not in this century. If running someplace were the answer I'd probably already be there.
Thanks Petra for another brilliantly simple post.
I will just run until I find something better :D Thank you for your lovely comment honey 💚
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Thank you 💚💚💚
Will never shush you ... appreciate your thoughts and opinions too much 😊
That is very nice to read, thank you 💚
You bring up some excellent points here. Some of this started many years ago, we were told not to use certain words and the newer shinier words we were told were more politically correct.
Therein is the problem, we need to be able to think for ourselves.
We can agree to disagree and find a common ground. If you don't think in a certain way, the way politics dictates through the media then you may be labeled as racist or a conspiracy theorist.
How about a free thinker? Hmmm... not is in fashion this year.
I hope it comes back. I enjoyed your post. Resteemed!
I too miss that term free thinker and also hope that it will soon be more popular :)
Thank you for your support and your lovely comment 💚
You are welcome... @zen-art
Some people are of the misguided belief that freedom means the freedom FROM being offended. If that were the case, no one would have any freedom because we'd all be forced into silence at the whims of arbitrary judgments. Real freedom means that sometimes we'll be offended by something. That's a part of life. Great post.
Exactly, we would all always be quiet because you can never please everyone and there will always be someone that will disagree and get offended. I am glad you enjoyed the post, thank you 💚
Thank you my dear fairy for the boldness of addressing such a topic and raising so many thought provoking points. You are absolutely right! Free speech is no longer free from quite some time. This happens everywhere in the world, not only in Croatia.
You really nailed it!
You are most welcome. I know it happens all over and it is really annoying but I hold hope that things will change, they already are, I see it in you and all the others that are responding to this topic with such nice views. Thank you for your lovely comment 💚
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Interesting... 💚
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I love the part when you said that free speech is not hate speech. I guess freedom is now being defined more and more to make sure we don't make it looks like a bondage. You have a lot of solid points right there and they make me think, on that of the freedom to offend as our emotions should not be attached to someone's opinion. Thank you @zen-art! :) I always love to read of your very wise mind! And I'm so thankful for the freedom on Steemit so I can read of your works!
You are very sweet, thank you for your support and your lovely comment 💚