#78: Freedom for Everyone (PART 2)

【Hate Speech】
The tragic incident at a gas station, cited in the last post, violates a person’s life. Regardless of how much the killer insists that his rights were intruded or wants to fully enjoy his Own Freedom, no freedom allows to violate others’ life.
 
In this case, a murder is of course outlawed, and masks are legally required. Others’ life is Others’ Freedom that must be protected, and to that end we’ll even go as far as to implement laws that limit one’s Own Freedom.
 
Surely, for most of us who enjoy freedom, we don’t wish to be bound by laws that limit our freedom. Indeed, no one wishes to be deprived of freedom. For that reason, we shall self-control our Own Freedom rather than resort to violence.
 
To protect everyone’s Freedom to live from the threat of coronavirus across the world as best we can, we shall self-control our own Freedom to refuse vaccination and Freedom to not wear a mask.
 
Because if we don’t reign ourselves in, then we invite the law to bind our Own Freedom on our behalf. To avoid having the law do what we fail to do ourselves, and to sustain everyone’s freedom, as people who enjoy freedom, we shall self-control our Own Freedom guided by self-discipline, especially when our Own Freedom may potentially morph into violating other people’s life, livelihood, and dignity.
 
Consequently, to protect everyone’s Freedom to live, we shall self-control our own Freedom to kill. Likewise, to secure everyone’s Freedom to live without fear of gun violence, we shall self-control our own Freedom to own guns.
 
It’s about having compassion to respectfully care for each and every one of us in the world. As a responsible adult, and as a responsible member of our society.
 
* * * * * * * * * *
 
In the last few years, more than just a few people have jumped on a hateful bandwagon influenced by former-US President Trump and former-Japanese Prime Ministers Abe and Aso, spewing hate speech, in particular, around the internet.
 
Hate speech is any expression of hostility or disparagement based on a group characteristic, often by the privileged group of race, background, gender, or majority status. Hate speech more broadly includes those of promoting such behavior or inciting violence.
 
To put it another way, it’s violence in the form of verbal abuse – violating other people’s dignity. In many instances, it also turns into violation of others’ life and livelihood.
 
We come across quite a few who spew hate speech in the name of Freedom, as if to proclaim there’s no moral boundary to this Freedom, but in truth reveal Selfishness with little regard to those whom they hurt by verbal abuse.
 
Very understandably, many European nations including Germany, France, UK, Denmark, and Sweden legally ban and penalize hate speech. In particular, learning from the past atrocities of Nazi era, the German criminal code provides for up to 5 years in prison.
 
In Japan, the Hate Speech Act was enacted in 2016, but it neither bans nor sets penalty, rendering it hollow. And most regrettably in the US, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that laws criminalizing hate speech violate the freedom of speech.
 
Nonetheless, whether the laws allow it or not, and regardless of freedom, it’s not fine for us to do whatever we’d like with little regard to others. For example, we refrain from entering our neighbor’s home without permission, using others’ belongings without asking, threatening others, abusing people, and of course killing.
 
Likewise, just because our freedom of speech is protected, it doesn’t mean that it’s fine for us to say whatever we’d like with little regard to others. It’s because we must not violate other people’s dignity. It's because the freedom of speech is not the only freedom that must be protected.
 
For those reasons, to protect everyone’s Freedom to live without verbal abuse, we shall self-control our own Freedom to hate speech.
 
We all have freedom. We all should. That’s why it’s essential to protect everyone’s freedom.
 
As people who enjoy freedom, we shall self-control our Own Freedom guided by self-discipline, when our Own Freedom may potentially morph into violating other people’s life, livelihood, and dignity.

Read Previous: Freedom for Everyone (1)【Vaccine】

Read Theme: Violence/Peace