One of the most important things we have in this world is our Freedom to speak our minds. To articulate our opinions and to robustly debate contrary points of view.
The art of debating is probably one of the greatest examples of free speech at work. In fact, in a debate, opposing points " arguments " are put forward to argue for opposing viewpoints. " It is a formal type of discussion, often with a moderator and an audience, in addition to the debate participants. "
Ancient Greece was probably the first place that a debate was held so it is fair to say that it is a very long held tradition that gained great favour in the 18th Century in our " modern " world.
In this sense, the ability to debate is one of the most important corner stones of our lives. It should be taught in every school in every Nation throughout our world.
Having an opinion and being free to express it is fundamental to our personal liberty. I am all for it.
However, when that opinion is expressed on a privately owned website, it opens a very murky can of worms. In this litigious society, any owner of any website has a responsibility to themselves to ensure that the opinions expressed do not come back to bite them. No one wants to end up in a court defending their right to allow a third party to express an opinion that could have been expressed in such a way as to be interpreted as hate speech.
Because these days freedom of speech is curtailed by laws written by left leaning do gooders who regard anything that ridicules or condemns a minority group or person could be deemed " hate speech. "
It is the weapon deployed by the left leaning luvvies to ensure that ordinary people watch " their p's and q's ".
This is what we have come to.
The comments section of a website or blog is there for people to engage in robust debate on the subject being addressed in the article. It is fine to wander off subject and say that the beer that they just enjoyed at their local pub was cold and tasted damned good. Someone may come back with a reply that the best beer they ever had was on a stinking hot day in the Coronnes pub in Charleville and it slid down like liquid gold.
No one is going to have a problem with that.
But if someone then replies " than that means you are probably an alcoholic - was it before noon? Chances are you were probably having a sleepover at the pub "... then things have become nasty.
It ceases to be a lighthearted chat room and becomes abusive and unnecessary.
That sort of " thread " , as we call it on line, is a disaster waiting to happen. The trolls gather and, before the owner of the site knows it, it has ceased to be a chat room and has become a hate fest.
That is why the Ancient Greeks had moderators and why moderators exist today - both in debates and in or on any chat room or comments section.
It is not to stifle freedom of speech. It is not to stifle free expression of opinion. In the time of the Greek debates,the moderator ensured that the speakers kept to the topic. These days, we do not expect people to stay on topic. Because our websites are not formal debates.
But we do have a responsibility to cover ourselves and to also ensure that our websites do not plunge in to a free for all - thus preventing free speech.
You see, that is the problem with an un moderated website. In supposedly supporting free speech, it actually suppresses it through FEAR. Fear of ridicule or fear of abuse.
A moderated site is not the suppression of free speech: it is the attempt to preserve it.
It has been said that Patriotrealm is losing viewers and readership because it robustly moderates comments.
Yes. Guilty as charged.
I do not want to end up in the " big house " because someone I don't even know said something about someone about something and I allowed it to be published.
Freedom of Speech? Hah! That is a long lost freedom that died a long time ago. Unless you are left leaning.
With the birth of laws that make it illegal to criticise anyone who is from an ever growing list of minorities, it is becoming more difficult to take a shot at anyone except a white heterosexual male.
In that case, it is all on.
This world we are living in - in 2020 - is a world that I never thought I would see.
Where women are free to murder a new born baby and get applause; where young teenagers are killing themselves because they are so miserable; where elected officials can simply say that " they do not remember " and a comment about a minority group could get you in a wealth of pain; where freedom of speech is only free as long as you speak the right words... that does not sound like freedom to me.
I support the right of the average person, the normal person, to express a view without being subjected to abuse, ridicule and or venomous hatred.
My humble little blog is no world blazing Conservative site. It is self funded by me. I earn no advertising revenue as so many others do. It is a labour of love.
Love of decency and Conservative values.
Freedom of speech goes both ways.
And I protect the RIGHT of normal decent people to speak without fear of abuse.
To me, that is freedom of speech.
I would like to end with a profound quote from someone really important. Instead I end with this from someone called Jim C Hines.
“Freedom of speech does not protect you from the consequences of saying stupid shit.
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