Another nail in the coffin of free speech
Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 17:47 I was chatting to a student over dinner last night.
She told me she had written a review of a play for her college newspaper and the director – a fellow student – had complained because it contained one or two mildly critical comments.
I am told there were accusations of libel but her worst crime was to suggest that some of the acting was a bit "wooden".
This, it was alleged, was a "racist" thing to say.
I haven't read the review but having spoken to the author I find it impossible to believe there is any truth in this.
She's a 20-year-old student reviewing a college play, for Christ's sake! She's entitled to express her opinion.
Or I thought she was.
Predictably the newspaper reacted by removing the review from its website. Instead of upholding the concept of free speech, the editor rolled over without a whimper.
If this catches on critics will have to think twice before expressing their views.
In fact, it's getting harder and harder to say or do anything without being accused of some heinous crime.
A couple of weeks ago I retweeted a mildly derogatory comment that someone had made about me on Twitter.
If I remember, my views on smoking in cars were described as "crazy".
I didn't comment, or complain (why would I?), I merely retweeted the tweet.
Philip Davies MP does this all the time. I like to think it's self-deprecating, although others may see it a sign of a rampant ego.
Anyway, the person who tweeted that my views were "crazy" responded by accusing me of "bullying" her because I retweeted her tweet!
I couldn't believe it.
She seemed quite young – in her twenties – so I had a dilemma. If I fought back it might seem that a middle-aged man in his fifties was picking on a girl 30 years his junior.
So after a short exchange of tweets in which I chose my words very carefully (one tweet contained the single word, 'sigh'), I backed off and let her have the last word.
The questions I am now asking myself are:
Am I cyber bully because I retweeted a tweet (about myself) without comment?
Is my new college friend "racist" because she described some actors as "wooden" in a review?
Who is bullying whom here?
If this carries on no-one will be able to express any opinion. We won't even be able to repeat other people's opinions!
It's mad.
Reader Comments (7)
I get this all the time with my anti chugger Facebook group. The chuggers always play the victim and accuse me of hate and bullying just for expressing an opinion. The idea is to ignore them as there just trying to censor debate by using threats linked to political correctness. I usually give them more of the same. Don't worry what other people think, if try cant handle your opinion, it's there problem. You know what people say if you don't like something on tv? Twitch over.
It's called the Breitbart defence as Andrew Breitbart used to do the same, thereby pointing out the tweet to his thousands of followers to pile in and attack the person who tweeted it.
If you're to be called a bully, then so is Tom Daly, Duncan Bannatyne and hundreds of others who have done the same thing.
It's fair game. If they tweeted it, they've put their views out publicly and should stop whining if you share them. IMHO of course. ;)
I have some experience in this area, especially in regard to theatre. Giving your opinion in print on theatre productions or meals in restaurants is generally protected in law. In the above instance the reviewer is not saying, as a fact, that the acting is wooden. She is saying that, in her opinion, the acting is wooden. That small difference protects her.
In my opinion.
The use of the "W-word" ( the term "w**den") to describe Humans/human attributes is offensive to Ents. For shame, Simon, for shame!
As a free speech fundamentalist I am in the Duke of Wellington camp, publish and be damned.
If someone wants to censor me then they go to hell, especially the liberal left. I am happy to go to any court in the land.
On the other hand I have never sworn or been abusive and try to be as constructive as I can in the debate.
As the Americans say in the context of what I tweet, suck it up.
Anyway, the person who tweeted that my views were "crazy" responded by accusing me of "bullying" her because I retweeted her tweet!
"Attack is the best means of defence" ?
A lot easier than attempting to defend her own remark.
Mad isnt the word for it, political correctness is slowly but surely ascending up its own ars that we're all going to be left speechless.