“Your right to speak freely stops before it reaches my nose.”
Protiguous, 2020
I mean this literally. As in what you just said, “stinks“.
And as a play on the popular phrase, “My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins.”
What stinks? Anything presented as the truth when it fails rigorous fact-checks. Fact-checks as done by Experts on the subject matter, by the proper Scientists, and/or unbiased Journalists.
You have the right, the duty, and the responsibility, to yell “Fire!” in a building where others could be harmed or killed by a fire.
However, the fire must be a real event. If there is no fire (“calling wolf!”) then you must also bear the burden of consequences for your action.
I am a huge believer in the innate gift of the right of Freedom of Speech for all Beings.
However, if you abuse that right by spreading falsehoods (lies), then you will suffer the consequences. Think of it as “Karma in Action”.
If Facebook, Twitter, newspaper, media, company, business, or whatever platform fact-checks your statement and finds your statement is spreading falsehoods (lies), then they have the right, the duty, and the responsibility to add a warning label upon or near your statement.
This is NOT censorship. This is not “taking away your right to free speech.” as some morons are claiming. This is NOT political.
This is them attempting to diminish the harm your foolish statements could (will) cause to others.
The fact that morons even have the right to protest these warning labels should realize that they are using that same right they are protesting about being violated!
Hypothetical: Bob buys an advertising space for a road-side banner proclaiming that your vehicle can save gas (increase MPG) by driving double the current posted speed limit.
Jane, as an experienced responsible driver with many years of accident-free history knows this to be false and even worse: dangerous, then she has the right to place a banner immediately before, above, below, left, right, or even after your banner proclaiming that Bob’s banner is wrong and you should NOT raise your vehicle’s speed above the posted speed limit.
What are your thoughts on this? I’d love some civil discussion..
