As someone who publishes controversial material, and has even been threatened for doing it, I was really quite shocked and saddened by the events in France the last few days.
Of course violence and threats of violence are always wrong. It’s also very important to stand up for freedom of speech, and the free expression of ideas and opinions.
At the same time, together with free speech comes responsibility for self restraint. We all know for example that showing hate for Jews, or blacks, eastern Europeans or promoting Nazism, is nearly universally unacceptable, even illegal in many countries. We sometimes forget that Muslims are people too, and deserve the same respect as everyone else. No one benefits by the frequent publishing of racial or religious slurs, and the sort of anger these can generate puts us all at risk.
Abbie Hoffman once said:
Free speech is the right to shout “Theater!” in a crowded fire.
Free speech can’t always be about pushing every boundary possible. Free speech has to be about criticizing ideas, politicians, corporations or societies at large, but not attacking ethnic or religious groups. It’s up to all of us as a society to enforce this, and not to fan the flames of intolerance.
My thoughts are fully with the people of Charlie Hebdo, their families and friends, the other journalists and political satirists, that put their own safety on the line in their jobs, but not the intolerance that lies behind them.
