I guess I’m forced to defend the Nazi’s Right to Free Speech, even though I hate the message. Forced to defend Alex Jones and the KKK, Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham, most all of Fox News, and yes, even some foreign government’s Right to Free Speech in America, even if I don’t like it. And so thankful of our Right to protest them.
Our First Amendment is meant to expose us to it all. The good and the bad and the so very ugly. So we can hear what it sounds like. So we can see what it looks like. We’re supposed to learn how to handle it, to become more informed, to check our sources. To ask questions, learn to be skeptical and believe it untrue until proven beyond a reasonable doubt. We are supposed to evolve to a self-thinking citizen. We are supposed to learn how to not be just blind loyalists. It’s the whole idea behind our First Amendment.
No, I’m not sure we can handle it. It doesn’t matter how idealistic I am about filtering untruths and facing known truths and believing (hoping) that mankind can handle it. Mob and tribal mentalities and individual weaknesses show us quite otherwise. Brain-washing seems to be rampant. It does seem like we can’t handle the responsibility.
Many believe these views should be banned from having a platform. That to protect us, we must try to muzzle them, to try to starve them of their oxygen. That without that exposure, the message will wither. That by removing it, people won’t fall for it so much anymore. What that means is we put an asterisk on our First Amendment. That we slow down this attempt to evolve critical thinking. We can leave the Free Speech to those in charge of the platforms. Free Speech now with fine print at the bottom.
I don’t know if taking things away works like that. I know if someone tells me “no”, it makes me want to try it more, just to show that they can’t tell me “no”. It makes me wonder why you don’t want me to hear this. Is it because you don’t believe in me or you think I’m too weak? Maybe that you don’t trust me? Or is there a truth you don’t want me to know?
Because I know in my experience I muzzle myself. I stop myself from saying things to some people if I don’t think they can really handle it. And it’s usually because I don’t believe they’re strong enough or capable of reason, or have the confidence in themselves for needed self-reflection. Or maybe I just don’t trust them. So I muzzle it. It goes unsaid. No one hears it. Thinking maybe we’re all better off if I don’t say it.
Maybe it’s true, we can’t handle all the voices. Can’t handle this part of independence and liberty. That people can’t really be trusted to make these choices.
I wonder what the alternative looks like. When someone else is making these choices for us.
I wonder if they’ll ban this.