The childish rebellion - in a mirror

Day 1,198, 23:23 Published in Romania Romania by Gray
The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.”

“ A group of country presidents signed a list of demands, threatening to stop the wars and to act against the developers/admins. Nice thing, a petition, isn't it? A decent, democratic and mature protest, you'd say. Also decent are some of the demands, we can agree on that.” Indeed, those who promoted the message made mistakes, they are human and off course some are shady characters, but what should have mattered was the message. Trying to minimize the message because the messengers where no angels is wrong. There’s always more than one way to deal with a situation and while I might have understood the banning of those people for harming the game, I do not understand nor accept what followed after. Again, articles erased and people banned because they were just expressing their discontent or transmitting a message. And transmitting that message was and is within their right, no matter what rules may say. Some did it in a calm manner, some with more passion, but the message was the same: we have the right to express ourselves. And erasing the articles which stated this was only adding more fuel to the “fire”.

I’ve read statements saying that this is their house. Well, a more accurate description would be that it’s their apartment building and the players are the tenants. Some pay, some don’t. But even those who do not pay do bring some value to the building. Otherwise the landlord would have accepted only the paying ones. And yes, the landlord can kick anyone outside, for any reasons, real of invented one. But what the landlord cannot do is suppress the freedom of speech. Because the tenant has the right to complain once the landlord starts making changes in the building, changes which affect the same tenant as well. So he may kick him, but he must not silence him.
Going down this road is dangerous. Because if I follow the same logic [it’s my house and I do whatever I want] then the same principle applied in RL, let’s say December 1989, would have excused what an oppressive regime did. After all, they were administering the country and the population living in it was only a tenant. So they had every right to silence any attempt to voice the discontent which was gathering. By any means necessary.

What some try to minimize as well is that a basic right has been trampled on. And they also found a way to excuse some actions which have no place in any democratic system. Be it real or virtual. Because the message sent is that “you can have freedom of speech, but only under our conditions” [and that’s no freedom of speech at all.]. And for that I would ask you read this: http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-opinii-8349098-sfanta-tinerete-legionara-curtea-suprema-sua.htm .

Personal, m-am alaturat protestului exact din acest motiv. Stiu, stiu, copilaresc si imatur. Ce a fost in capul meu cand m-am gandit ca exista valori democratice ce ar trebui respectate in orice mediu, de catre toti?

Gerald Gunther: “Lectia pe care am invatat-o din copilaria mea in Germania Nazista si din viata mea fericita in aceasta tara [Statele Unite] este necesitatea de a umbla pe cararea adeseori dificila in care sa condamn cu toata puterea ideile de ura ale bigotului, interzicand in acelasi timp comunitatii orice incercare de interzice asemenea idei prin forta legii”.

I am Gray, and I will not, ever, respect those who find excuses for silencing the freedom of speech. Because there is no middle way here, there is no way you can say ”There are cases when your right to speak can be taken away from you”.



PS: Da, stiu ca acest articol va fi sters, chiar repede. Dar e de asteptat, doar nu face parte din categoria de opinii “Oda Conducatorului Iubit”. [later edit: nu l-au sters. this is good]