FREEDOM OF SPEECH VS FREEDOM TO ABUSE
Listen to the podcast version:
Where do your rights end and mine begin?
You hear it all of the time, “back in the day” or “when I was young” or “I remember when” all referring to when people treated others with courtesy.
Most of us have heard the adage, “When you can’t think of anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
We have reached a time in our history, when we as a people may have to think about our freedoms.
How does exercising my freedom, step on you enjoying a freedom of yours?
Freedom of Speech can turn into verbal abuse.
This used to be much less common, yet now it seems to be happen more often.
Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy and a foundation of what we hold as important as a society.
However, freedom of speech should not imply freedom from consequences.
We seem to have lost accountability for the way we wield our right to speak.
Many, when exercising their right to free speech are spewing anger and hatred at another person and the “conversation” turns into verbal abuse.
That sounds so extreme…abuse, right?
Name-calling, insults, and threatening language are all forms of verbal abuse.
While individuals have the right to express their opinions and beliefs freely, when those opinions are expressed in a way that is intended to harm or intimidate others, it crosses the line and becomes abusive.
Social Media.
Social media has become a breeding ground for hateful and abusive language, often directed at individuals or groups that are perceived as different or inferior. Usually these groups or individuals targeted for a difference in opinion.
One reason for this “bad behavior” is the anonymity of social media, which allows people to say things they would never say in person.
It is much easier to have bravado or say things you would not dream of saying in person when you cannot see how these comments crumple another person.
It is also much easier to be nasty online because you can “slap and run,” make a nasty comment and run away with no accountability.
We have entered a time in our history where we as a society reward bad behavior.
Personally, I find this odd.
If you have a conversation, one on one with some of the most ruthless and nasty commenters online, you will see that they would be appalled if their children behaved in a similar manner.
Many of them do not see themselves as spreading hate, but spreading truth.
Another reason is the echo chamber effect, where people surround themselves with like-minded individuals and are not exposed to diverse perspectives.
The power of always being confirmed that you are absolutely right and brilliant is enormous.
The algorithms have created this echo chamber effect that feeds the “everyone believes the way I do” mentality.
People only see others who are “like” themselves.
So, when they “meet” someone with a differing opinion, they are often truly blown away that “anyone of any intelligence” could possibly think “that” way when “everyone” knows the “truth.”
This is a horrible problem that I do not feel many even realize is happening to deconstruct our society.
Truth.
Name calling, bullying and violent language dominate not only our social media but also our news sources, talk shows, and print media.
Where do you find your news? How do you find the “truth”?
There was an adage about that as well, “truth is in the eye of the beholder.”
Now, people seem to believe that truth is with the one that yells the loudest and “beats” the opposition into submission.
The rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle has contributed to the spread of post-truth.
I understood the concept, but did not know that there was an actual term for this “new” belief.
Post-truth is a phenomenon where people prioritize emotions and personal beliefs over facts and objective reality in shaping public opinion and decision-making.
Did you absorb that?
Read it again.
This is powerful:
Post-truth is the phenomenon where we believe emotions and just what we think is “right” over any facts and objective reality.
This is shaping public opinion and major decision making.
As these platforms, news, podcasts, and print media often prioritize sensationalism and emotional appeal over accuracy and context, we are defining our truth based on emotions and, oftentimes, avoidance of fear.
This truth, that we have a bone deep certainty of, we then feel a need to have others agree with…unequivocally.
When our truth is faced with opposition, we are becoming verbally abusive, whether online or in person.
Just looking at the “evolution” of our bumper stickers will show the venom we have towards our fellow person.
News.
Firstly, I want to recognize that it is really hard to believe in a news source. It is difficult to not fall into the post-truth phenomenon when our major news sources are telling the exact same story with a different set of “facts” and telling that same story with a completely different result, ending, or reason.
I am guilty of post-truth phenomenon simply because I do trust what I believe in the core of me, what I think humanity is and is capable of, and what I know to be right and wrong from the way I was raised.
This is exactly what we should NOT be doing.
However, how are we to do anything else?
I love to research.
I love to find the facts.
Research is even skewed these days towards whoever is funding the research or whomever will benefit from it.
My answer:
I quit listening to all news sources, three years ago.
They spread fear and hatred, in my opinion.
Their entire intention is to get a very dramatic feeling out of you and me.
The intention was not to be a public service announcement and just tell me what the heck was going on.
I don’t need more drama in my life.
My questions:
- When did the news quit giving the public, well the news?
- What happened to the days when Walter Cronkite or Barbara Walters would come on and we would gather around the television and listen intently to what was really happening in our country and around the world?
- Should our news sources be responsible for telling just the news?
- Should they have to verify all stories and sources?
- Should they have to have multiple sources for a single story?
- Should they have to have a this side vs that side to show the news “consumer” the full issue, not a skewed or platform “side”?
- Should they have to put all news out to the public, as a public service and not just sensationalize what they feel we want to or should hear?
- Should the media be a protected entity that cannot be owned by a few corporations, but only be owned by many independent entities?
Maybe 10 years ago we all believed in the news, at least I think we did.
I don’t recall the news being blue or red, it just was.
I don’t believe in censorship. I do believe in truth.
I also believe that no one should have to suffer abuse from another.
Should people be held accountable for verbally abusing others?
Should there be “rules of engagement” for people to converse in this controversial time?
I love that idea!
United States, “US” accepts responsibility for our bad behavior as a nation.
We are not role-modeling to our children the way we want human interaction to look.
“US” the people, decide upon how we will engage with each other.
What will the appropriate way, the respectful way to engage in conversation look like?
This seems so “grade school” yet, we, the “US” have gone back to schoolyard bully behavior in everyday interactions.
We need intervention.
Our forefathers wrote about our rights nearly 250 years ago.
At what point do we need to accept that even though those men may have been really smart, they did not have all of the answers?
Maybe, just maybe we need to start looking at our inalienable rights and see if any of them are taking away rights of a happy, peaceful and truthful life from another.
I obviously do not have the answers, but I think it is definitely time to start asking the questions.
While freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy, it is not absolute and should not be used as an excuse for verbal abuse.
It is important to understand the line between protected speech and verbal abuse, and to take action to address abusive behavior when it occurs.
Ultimately, a culture of respect and tolerance is essential for creating a healthy and thriving society.