Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India. Gandhi attempted to practise nonviolence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn hand spun on a charkha. He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as the means to both self-purification and social protest. (source WikiPedia).
Changing things without violence towards a sustainable and humane future for generations to come and for the one we live in today.
First of all. Violence it seems is, unfortunately, necessary sometimes. It is programmed within human nature. How we handle that is up to us. Today we kill more innocent people than soldiers (Link). Soldiers are people who choose to fight and use violence as means to change things, defend us and other reasons. At this Blog we are not pacifists, we understand that given fact. We understand that violence is sometimes needed, but in our opinion always as the last possible resort. Always after extensive diplomatic trials and errors to the max. War is just too expensive in the end.
We do have a very important rule in this blog: in our opinion violence should NEVER be part of any freedom of speech discussion or argument! As long as it is about non violent things like written text, cartoons, images, arguments, gestures, etc. violence is not necessary at all. Period.
Only when you have to defend your own life, violence maybe an option. Otherwise non violence is more powerful.
So… let’s continue now and focus on the point of this first blog about something difficult as freedom of speech… and yes it is a really difficult item and discussion. There are many corners, views, subjects and so on.. ok.. here we go..
What is freedom (of speech). Freedom of speech is, in our opinion, an obtained delicate right. It is an essential part of our (western) feel of freedom which has been around for some time after many fights and arguments (ongoing). And yes: we can lose it! Basically it means you can SAY or SKETCH etc.. just about anything within the boundaries of the (local) law. The people living in a ‘free’ world should be able to cope with just about any legal opinion and expression.
This makes freedom of speech a very delicate acquired right. Yes, true, anything is possible within the boundaries of the (local) law. But should we go for anything possible/allowed?! Some things might not be done at all. Most of us understand the thin red line, but who draws it and should that line be protected at all times? Sure, we understand that things should always be challenged by some (artists), just to make sure the borders are protected. Many comedians and political ‘endeavorists’ go for that strategy. However, sometimes we should also consider if we hurt people. And is that really necessary?!
Many people, even hardliners of the free word say that violence is the border, the limit. However violence is not always a gun, a bullet or something physical. A spoken word or sketched opinion can also hurt people really bad. Something to be considered!
Sometimes we should consider if we hurt other people’s feelings. If we walk for instance into a Church or Mosque, we do not start screaming or speak loudly. Why? Because it hurts people. Because for them that location is a holy place that has certain rules, and if you can not cope with that, just do not enter such a place. For many people a holy place is a location where the world and all of it’s ‘(internet) of things’ stops for a moment. A place to be human, comparable for some to a silent mountain with a view, or a sea breeze, a room where you can relax and other examples we all recognise. Something holy in whatever sense you wish to call it. Something important to protect. Something you should not step on. A good example of places and boundaries we should respect. Now we come to the delicacy of our freedom of speech. We have a responsibility which comes with our freedom (of speech).
Freedom of speech gives power to the people, yet it also comes with a responsibility in our opinion. As a famous singer sang: ‘holy water in my lungs‘. We should defend freedom of speech not only by trying to kick against it’s borders to keep extending it or protect it, but also by recognising it’s borders and protect them by not crossing the boundaries. Why? Because it is important not to become the bullies of freedom. Understanding it’s borders will secure our freedom of speech because we understand that ANYTHING CAN BE SAID, yet not EVERYTHING SHOULD BE SAID. If we start believing the opposite we are stepping away from our obtained freedom and we will all become nothing more that the ‘evil’ we are fighting against.
Please believe in a one love future for all. Respect each others beliefs and weaknesses. Work on it, but do not kick it unnecessary for whatever (good) reason. Practice nonviolence as it will always be more powerful than anything else. Communicate with each other, debate and most important: love one and other. True love is the only path against the 1% elite who sells weapons, oil, stocks and bad food, to obtain power. They are the true enemy today. People who we call the ‘darth vaders‘ of this world and who can be saved! Corrupted by greed, black hearted most of the time and making profit on any violence in the world, wherever it is. Please. Let’s be brothers and unite. Let’s fight for our obtained freedom rights and save even the Darth Vader’s of this world living in self imprisoned spaces believing they are better and more free than us. They live behind and within their own created prisons of so called freedom. They are not free. In the end they still need us, unless they move to another planet (maybe they are even working on that…). Anyways: we all need each other, so..
One Love Future!
To be continued. Right here. Live and direct.
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