Speech Bullies Keep Us in the Box
"Society has got to leave room for human error. We get so fired up about social justice that we forget that everyone is human and makes mistakes.” - Dave Chappelle
There is an existential dread looming over free-thinkers in our country. Right or wrong, a significant portion of our population does not believe they are free to speak their minds out of fear their political opinions are out-of-sync with mainstream society or soon will be and could be used against them.
Individuals are understandably scared as the yardstick for acceptable speech continues to move at breakneck speed, with an unquestionable bias against center-right political views and mainstream religious beliefs.
Many on the right have long-ago accepted that our views and positions were not proportionally represented in the news, commentary, television, and movies, but we were content with the security that our right to believe and express those beliefs were protected by the Constitution and were supported in principle by a majority of Americans.
Unfortunately, over the last five years, this has changed as many on the left believe their end goal justifies their means. Even if that means includes the new blood sport of ostracizing, firing, or “canceling” their fellow Americans. As a result, we have lost the ability to have civil disagreements with one another as extremists demand contrition, conversion, or action from their opponents.
No one is safe from the outrage mob. The woke movement doesn’t draw the line at celebrities or people with means (like the high-profile firing of Gina Carano) — their distaste for disagreement does not discriminate. College students have been “doxxed” for being associated with conservative organizations on campus. A nurse was once fired for answering a patient’s question about who she voted for in the 2016 election. Activists have even called for reprimands and/or firings of individuals who work in the service industry for their past social media posts.
Perhaps most disturbing is that organizations often act swiftly without allowing for due process. Afraid of the public relations hit they might take for not immediately addressing the mob's demands, action is taken before the facts are truly known. Before you know it, someone who rings up your family's food at the grocery store has been cast out as a pariah with a permanent, public stain on their name harming their future employment opportunities.
While the stated goal of social justice is the “redistribution of power to enhance the well-being of individuals through equality,” the result has been a dehumanization of massive groups of people and the creation of a new generation of bullies.
Some terrible injustices have occurred in our nation’s past, but equality isn’t achieved by discriminating against a new group of people. You cannot eliminate hate by hating others and dismissing the opinions of seventy-five million Americans. Casting people from society does far more harm than allowing for a “wrong” opinion to be expressed in the public discourse, even if the opinion is objectively hurtful.
Perhaps a more measured response would be to have a thoughtful discussion with the person who offended you. Few people are expressing their opinions with the intention of hurting others. Simply having a conversation can do wonders for civility and remind both parties that even your opponents are human.
“Political correctness is just fascism disguised as manners.” - George Carlin
How many potentially great ideas are being lost because innovative individuals are afraid to speak up out of fear of being misinterpreted? We will never be able to solve the vexing problems of our day if leaders are afraid to think outside the box and at a minimum have difficult discussions with the American people.
