So, Alex Jones got banned from Facebook, Apple, YouTube and Spotify. This news broke 10 days ago and I saw it in the corner of my eye, but didn't think much of it at first.
And that's because I don't particularly like the man. I don't like the way he ambushes people, however guilty or rotten they may be, with a microphone and a camera, always looking to make himself look like the true knight in shining armor, fighting to bring us truth in a world of universal deceit. I don't like his blind faith in capitalism and I'm not fond of the shady products he sells on his Infowars website.
That's not to say that he doesn't occasionally has something useful to say or that he's wrong about the fact that we're being lied to about almost everything in mainstream media. His style, his political and economical outlook on the world and his voice... that voice... These all made me mostly ignore Alex. So I didn't glance twice when I saw he got banned from almost all biggest social media platforms.
Alex Jones
image by DonkeyHotey - source: Flickr
But that's so wrong. The way I reacted as well as the ban itself. This is why I write today's short post. To remind myself and you all, dear Steemians, that freedom of speech is not there to protect the speech that agrees with us. It's to protect the right to express ideas we don't like or agree with! We especially need to stand up for those who we don't agree with because we know that some day the roles might be reversed. A lot of people might not like or agree with what I have to say, but as long as I'm not causing any physical or mental harm to anyone, I should be able to speak my mind.
Another reason to let anyone shout their unwanted or unpopular ideas out loud, is because this keeps potentially dangerous elements and developments in sight. It is much more dangerous to let these movements fester in the dark or underground. And the most important reason of all may be that refusing individuals or groups their right to free speech, shuts off the dialogue completely; every chance of changing the minds of those who are yet undecided or even winning back some lost souls to the side of the light and reason is gone.
The exchanging of opposing ideas in the public sphere is the very basis of a functional democracy and any free and open society. Augist 6th, the day the news of Alex Jones' ban from these social platform giants broke, is a black page in the very young history of the "free and open internet".
All but one of the major content platforms have banned the American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, as the companies raced to act in the wake of Apple's decision to remove five podcasts by Jones and his Infowars website.
Facebook unpublished four pages run by Jones for "repeated violations of community standards", the company said on Monday. YouTube terminated Jones's account over him repeatedly appearing in videos despite being subject to a 90-day ban from the website, and Spotify removed the entirety of one of Jones's podcasts for "hate content".
source: The Guardian - Mon 6 Aug 2018
Remember: free speech is not an invitation to intentionally hurt someone's feelings or insult them. But it also means that by speeking your mind it's always possible for feelings to get hurt. That's why intent matters. As long as we're able to engage in open and honest dialogue while respecting each other's humanity, we'll be able to build a future together. And that includes the likes of Alex Jones.
Alex, if you by any chance get to read this, please accept my invitation to join us here on Steemit. There will be no banning here, no censorship other than that of your peers. I can't promise you'll be able to monetize your speech because we try to upvote quality content only, but you'll be able to say what you need to say :-) I don't like what you usually have to say nor the way you say it, but I'll always defend your right to do so. So please, come join us! (or are you already here, hiding among us?)
If you are by any chance an Alex Jones fan, rest assured I think no less of you, and I hope you'll join me in extending this invitation to the voice of all conspiracies :-) To the rest of you I say thank you for being here again and I hope to see you back here tomorrow so we can share some more thoughts on whatever comes up ;-)
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Thanks for stopping by and reading. If you really liked this content, if you disagree (or if you do agree), please leave a comment. Of course, upvotes, follows, resteems are all greatly appreciated, but nothing brings me and you more growth than sharing our ideas. It's what Steemit is made for!
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