|
Opinion / Religion -
January 25, 2021
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
What is freedom of speech? In youthful ignorance, I assumed it meant I
could say anything I wanted. While occasionally living with my grandma,
she forced me to understand a few of my words were unacceptable to the
audience surrounding me. Grandma used a switch as well as bar soap in my
mouth to create a filter system. But the number of words I couldn’t use
was limited and as time passed so was the severity of punishment.
However, if someone besides my immediate family had attempted to punish
me for some inappropriate word or phrase I said, the wrath of Grandma
would have left them with both physical and emotional scars.
Today we have an entire industry punishing citizens for thinking or
saying contrary thoughts. A famous newspaper owner, William Hurst, once
said, “I can’t tell people what to think, but I can sure as hell tell
them what to think about.” I have observed the constant, and perhaps,
orchestrated focus of the media in creating a single narrative on
important issues without allowing opposing views. The results of those
efforts frighten me.
Truthfully, I feel bewildered that so many American citizens have given
up their right to freedom of self-expression and even independent
thinking in exchange for the unrealistic promise of a more pleasant
future, where no one says anything unkind or offensive.
We, as citizens of Medicine Lodge, have been spared most of the
Machiavellian oppressions that much of our country has been suffering
(i.e., a California man arrested for surfing alone in the ocean). But
when organized groups have gained the power to control and punish any
citizen just for their thoughts or words which the group disagrees, our
constitutional rights should remain in effect no matter how dire the
temporary situation may be.
I believe what we need is about 150 million Grandmas like mine, armed
with switches and bars of soap to remind us all to tell the word/thought
police, “BUTT OUT.” I am an American citizen and I have the right of
free speech.
Although I know we are not allowed to yell fire in a crowded theater, I
believe we must peacefully resist any attempt by anyone, except Grandma
of course, to tell us what we can or cannot say or think. A professor
told me many years ago, there are no good or bad words, only good or bad
feelings associated with those words. And I have a really bad feeling
about being told to shut up. How about you?
Sincerely,
Don Vick - Medicine Lodge
Click Here for complete opinion page
|
|
Premiere Inside
School
Sports
Record
Local
Deaths
Opinion
KWIBS
Classifieds
Business
Dir.
Subscribe
Ad
Information
Staff
Contact Us
Warp Your Favorite Local
Person. A Different Victim Each Week!!
Premiere letter policy
To be eligible for publication in this paper, a letter’s content must
meet the following criteria: 1) contain information of interest to the
community that directly affects the area of Barber County
or its citizens; 2) contain information on local public policy; or 3)
contain a response or correction of content published in this paper for
purposes of clarification.
Letters in response to items published on the opinion pages may or may
not be published, depending on their relevance to the community or content
involved. Viewpoints expressed on these pages are the opinions of the
authors, and do not reflect the viewpoints of The Gyp Hill Premiere or its
staff.
Letters to the editor must be typed or neatly handwritten, contain a
signature, return address and telephone number for verification purposes.
Letters submitted via e-mail are also welcome, provided that they contain
a valid reply-to address.
Letters will be published exactly as written, however The Gyp Hill
Premiere reserves the right to edit letters for length, spelling, context
or clarity as deemed necessary.
All letters are subject to review and will be published at the
discretion of our editorial staff. Letters that contain offensive or
defamatory language, libelous statements or content that is generally
intended to defame will not be published.
Letters that contain obvious factual errors will not be published,
however The Gyp Hill Premiere is not responsible for validating the
content of letters.
We also reserve the right not to publish letters that do not meet our
publication deadline of noon on Thursday.
A copy of this policy is available at The Gyp Hill Premiere office at
108 N. Main Street during normal business hours.
|
