Many people get wrapped up in the argument of ‘offending’ people at a grass roots level, about wether people should be able to speak their minds about each other, corporations and dare I say it – yes governments. And the word ‘offensive’ is banded about all the time these days as if offending someone should be a crime and of course we know that it recent years it has been made into one by legislators claiming to be defending the ‘offended’.
It’s not the people you should fear – its corrupt politicians
But what’s the real reason we should be keeping freedom of speech 100% free? I’ll tell you. Blocking total freedom of speech is a despot’s dream. He or she can put anyone inside that dares to criticise their rules and regimes for the people or a nation. THIS is the real reason we should demand that freedom of speech is kept 100% free – so we are free to criticise bad and corrupt governments. Of course the founding fathers knew this and made it part of the constitution.
Legislation against ‘offensive’ speak is a bad governments dream
But give young folk who didn’t have to fight for freedom a few years of peace and prosperity and they soon forget, and don’t even bother to learn how they got that freedom in the first place – to them it’s just because people are nicer than they used to be in the olden days (even though The Bible tells us the truth – that msn’s hearts are wicked – and does anyone think that human DNA and hence our inclination to sin has changed since the time of Pharaoh? We like to think so but of course not – given the right pressures we are all capable of terrible crimes).
And so governments and politicians with too much power, in cyclical fashion are always prone to corruption and slowly (in order to hang on to that power) start to legislate against so called ‘hate‘ speech between people (let’s call that ‘critical’ speech is more accurate) pretending they are doing it in the interests of the marginalised people and groups, when in actual fact it is a corrupt person or entity’s best tool to shut people up when they criticise their own government should the need arise.
Don’t let the government decide what is offensive – it’s the court and jury’s job!
So – what I am saying is this; if you do put this power in the hands of government to decide what is offensive – make no mistake, you are sealing your own doom, and everybody else’s long term. This is the reason the founding fathers of the last really free country in the world – the USA – with all her terrible faults, demanded free speech be kept free – because yours and my criticism about someone or something or some organisation or some government may be right! And in any case – the law and legal system (also being eroded by people who want to use political correctness as a tool to shut up their opponents) is also put in place to protect you if someone is being malicious – i.e criticising you unfairly as you can take them to court and have it out there.
Let people criticise me – I may be doing something wrong!
But curb freedom of speech even one jot?.. never – forget offending people, it’s the road to despotic dictator governments. That’s the reason we need free speech. We should think twice before forgetting what our fathers fought and died for. Freedom is hard (almost impossible) to gain, but very easily and quickly lost if one are not vigilant.
I may be wrong – but I may be right!
You may find this article offensive and I may be 100% wrong, but suppose in a few years you decided that I was right (it happens to people all the time when they gain more knowledge about any given situation), by that time it may be an ‘offense‘ to write such an article to warn you.
I love God, Christ, The Bible. art, painting, playing music, improvising music, guitar (first instrument), drumming (not very good at it:), and anything musical or art related. Quick note – my articles are usually spun off in minutes so forgive any errors – hopefully you get the essence of the article and I’ll pick up mistakes later. If you want to write of 101ChristianMagazine and inspire and edify Christians with articles on faith, general news, hobbies or anything that interests you email me at: epgb101@gmail.com:)
