Freedom of speech and expression

The last post got me thinking a little further about the whole nature of freedom of speech and expression, which I'm convinced is at the root of a healthy and sane individual and society.

Political correctness is nonsense. When people don't feel free to say what they feel they need to say, even if what they have to say it crap or stupid or idiotic, then that's not freedom of speech any more than Hitler's burning of books was freedom of speech. Repressing someone else's words, even if those words are idiocy or evil, or lies, only disempowers the person and does, effectively, traumatize them.

As a child, I wasn't given freedom of speech by my father. I wasn't given freedom of speech by my mother; nor was I given freedom to be who I was by either. I was manipulated, used, and bullshitted, just as I have been by governments and by institutions like The Guardian.

Again, the beauty of these blogs and the entire blogging phenonemenon is that the individual has editorial control.

All I need now is a more effective way of distributing what I have to say.

And that leads us to the dilemma that many journalists, and anyone else in all walks of the media realise: that in order to reach greater numbers of people, it may mean not being entirely truthful, or at least being selective about what one says.

And that's what editing is, isn't it?

But I say Fuck that. My blog will be what it is, thanks.

It will develop and grow in the direction it needs to develop and grow.

And I don't need any editor nor moderator.