I realize propagandists have gradually acclimated people to the idea that censorship can be a good thing under the right circumstances. That’s precisely what the Ministry of Truth and every totalitarian regime wants you to believe because then they define what is good/evil and truth/lies. They can call a lie the truth and the truth a lie and then censor accordingly, which is precisely what has been occurring the past three years—to catastrophic results.
Those who are familiar with history know censorship always leads to dark places—without exception.
This is why the ACLU, for example, chose to defend the KKK’s right to free speech in 2010 (aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-em-defends…). Even The Guardian supported that decision (theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jun/…). The fact that such a principled stance is considered extremist these days shows how effective the authoritarians’ propaganda has been.
Sunshine is the best disinfectant for fallacious and hateful ideas. The reality that actual neo-Nazis are pariahs in society and are nearly as rare as leprechauns outside their echo chambers is proof of this.
We are adults, and everyone has the right to assess content and make determinations based on their own critical thinking, research, and vetting criteria. It saddens me when I see people not only willing but eager to outsource their thinking to others.
I don’t have time to continue back-and-forthing but do encourage you to read the books I recommended above if you want to understand how totalitarianism comes into being and how censorship is the first and most essential step in that journey into slavery.
I will close with a quote from ACLU-EM Executive Director Brenda Jones:
“Defending the rights of groups that the government tries to censor because of their viewpoints is at the heart of what the First Amendment and the ACLU stand for, even when the viewpoints are not popular. If we don’t protect the free speech rights of all, we risk having the government arbitrarily decide what is, or is not, acceptable speech.”
