Give me Liberty or Give me Death


When I checked my Wordpress blog this a.m. it showed 108 views for this post from 2015.   I added a couple of images for fun; and am cross-pollinating the post to this site today.

 https://thelastenglishprince.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death/

I believe in freedom of expression. This brings societal homeostasis and guards against tyranny.  I believe micro aggression is a mythical political construct which causes self-censorship of speech in fear of the other.  And I do not believe "hate speech" should be a tool of the court, but the words of others should be adjudicated in the court of public opinion.   

There is just speech. And we are to judge the words of each other, place the weight of what is said into our hand, and if it is chaff - just blow it away. Given enough rope, the fool will generally hang themselves with it. 

I do believe in full-throated freedom which brings health into the marketplace of ideas and which can encourage gentle nudges and also paradigm shifts in the thinking of those who are teachable and humble of heart.  

And I also believe those of noble spirit speak the truth with love - no matter how uncomfortable the Truth.  (Ephesians 4:15)

If we are always comfortable with the speech of those who we choose to seek out, comfortable with everything we read,  we have never "left the reservation".    We should carefully listen to what others have to share.  And perhaps, a small nugget of truth is to be gained in what appears a sea of flotsam nonsensical thought.  But we should never insulate ourselves against thought which brings discomfort.

Regarding "hate speech" - England has used this tool to ignore and squash valid concerns of their constituency; to persecute and jail citizens who dare to question political narratives which do not match domestic realities.

Dear England:  It is time to move into the 21st century of vibrant and free thought. Only when you do so, will you return to the societal homeostasis which you so deeply crave but seem unwilling to achieve.


swoffordwrites@gmail.com


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Charlie Kirk Marcus Aurelius "Meditations" would not exist if he had been assassinated for his thoughts at age thirty-one. I would have never read Alexander Solzhenitsyn's "Gulag Archipelago" if he had been assassinated for his political thoughts at thirty-one years of age. Winston Churchill would have never written "Hinge of Fate" (one of my favorite selections) had he been assassinated at thirty-one years of age. Ernest Hemingway was fifty-three years old when "The Old Man and the Sea" was published. Leon Uris was thirty-four years old when his novel "Exodus" was published. The average age of the delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention was forty-two.  Benjamin Franklin was 81 years of age at this time. The famous Persian poet Ferdowsi began writing "Shahnameh" when he was 37 years old and did not complete it until he was about seventy years of age.  This would be a tremendous loss not to have access to his though...
Read more
Image
Mohamed Elhassan He is powerful, made up of imperceptible layers.  He was only in his mid-teens when he first heeded the call to political action traveling to the Republic Palace of President Jafar Nimeiri seeking justice for his family. He is a well-respected Sufi.  In June,  he was awarded a Masters Degree in Islamic Studies from Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar).  A recognized leader of the Kwahla tribe - with 16 million members.   Fast forward to 2010 and 2015 when he ran for President of the Sudan.  In 2015, it was my privilege to serve in a minor advisory role.  In recent years, he has given an enviable one hundred interviews with Al Jazeera Mobasha (life).   His name is Mohamed Elhassan.  I merely call him "friend". Mohamed Elhassan is president of the Sudanese Gathering Accord.  He is a man who knows his business, takes care of his business, and more importantly, takes care of his people. Less than a month ago he tra...
Read more

Charlie Kirk Memorial: Live Blog: The Largest Church Service in Human History

Live Blogging:  Charlie Kirk Memorial Blackfoot is comfortably snoozing in a different time zone.  So I will go ahead and start the post.  Undoubtedly, when I return to the desktop, Blackfoot will have added a few thoughts and I will enter the arena again. Security.  The word floated across my consciousness several times yesterday.  The perimeter of two stadiums and parking lots must be secured for the Charlie Kirk Memorial.  Within full envelope surveillance are tricks of the trade which most of us are unaware of - in blissful manner. Problematic, is not only an estimated crowd of 100,000 souls, but the abbreviated timeline to secure the venue.  We had a friend who worked full-time providing security for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium when it was in Irving, Texas.  When the team hosted the Super Bowl in 2011, several alphabet agencies were involved in securing the space for weeks in advance.  Every can of nacho sauce, toilet paper, and toothpick...
Read more