It's one of those moments that had me pondering "Well then, what's left for us to talk about?" I've had several of them lately.
A talk show was discussing ways for parents and teachers to help transgendered students navigate their school years. A teacher was questioning the policy that prevented him from sharing pertinent information with parents. As he was speaking, a panelist reached over and put her hand over his mouth and declared, "I'm going to stop you before you embarrass yourself any further." The teacher was not allowed to have an opinion that differed from the advocate.
A host was doing his best to give equal time to two guests who were arguing about a protest movement. Over and over the first guest would start to speak when the other interrupted and tried to control the discussion. The host interjected and asked him to please refrain from making comment until a response was given. He became incensed and said he wouldn't stand for being on a talk show that didn't allow him to talk so he walked off the set. He left when he was challenged to let another guest speak.
There are topics we are leery about entering into because the pushback can be intense. Heading into the fray in things like gender, race or politics can leave one feeling rather vulnerable because it’s getting frustrating seeing who is allowed to give input and who isn’t.
You can't say that. That's not how to talk about that any longer. We're not allowed to have an opinion on that.
It may seem extreme but just consider the number of times we use those types of expressions, and it is increasingly complicated knowing what the acceptable vocabulary might be and potentially open ourselves up to judgement for missteps.
Without a doubt there are words and attitudes that need eradicating. But the culture is shifting so rapidly it's hard to keep up and know what the new acceptable language might be. A term we may have used just a few years ago is now on the 'how dare you say that' list. It's safer to stay quiet than to open ourselves up to backlash, criticism and even those dreaded calls to be cancelled for making a remark deemed insensitive or offensive. While true hate speech needs to be dealt with, it is crucial to remind people that it is not hate speech simply because it is a different opinion from the one you hold.
I enjoyed spending time at a small coffee house in university. You never knew what students or professors might come in and take a seat. More often than not it resulted in great conversations. Opinions would be offered on whatever the issues were and while we didn't always agree it gave us a deeper insight into the people teaching us and those taking classes alongside us. Not once did we call each other names, throw punches or leave the room in disgust.
Wow, have things changed.
A survey on college campuses revealed the majority of students believe it is okay to disrupt a speaker or shut down their presentation to silence them. One in five said they would endorse the use of violence to prevent a speaker from presenting a message they didn't like. 54% say their campus prevents people from saying what they really believe because others find it offensive.
A group on a Canadian campus had to fight a $17,500 security fee after protestors caused problems. Another organization had 3,000 of its posters torn down. One other group saw their event abruptly halted when protestors pulled a fire alarm in the hopes of shutting it down.
There are those who want to silence anyone who disagrees with them. Others are wary to wade in until they know who is willing to go knee-depth alongside them. But think of what we're missing out on because we're afraid to…talk.
This week in 1982 the Canadian Charter was signed into our nation's history. It's interesting that so many choose to focus on rights and freedoms yet are unwilling to extend those same freedoms to others. They operate as if only those who share their opinion have the right to speak. That's not even close to what the Charter says.
When an ominous scene occurs in a movie, we might hear a character warn of imminent danger by saying, “It’s quiet…too quiet.” Truly, it is getting too quiet in some corners and we are all facing danger if people aren't able to share their wisdom, life experience and perspective. That price is too high. Freedom of speech only works if it available to all. So let’s give it a test and speak up. That’s my outlook.
