Friends are Electric

The courts got it wrong.  The people were selfish.  And now its all a mess.

Direct democracy is a wonderful thing.  People deciding what they want for themselves, not selecting someone who they hope will represent them.  A great thing indeed.  The voice of the people should be respected above almost everything else.

Why almost?  Because one of the most important principles of democracy is that the majority cannot remove the rights of the minority.  And this is what has happened.

You can bitch and whine and say that “NO! This was not a right they had and we can’t have taken it away for that reason!” And technically you would be correct.  But you have that right, and therefore everyone should have that right.  We are all equal, right?

That’s the theory.  But not today.

People: just because you think one thing does not make it right or wrong.  If you want a right or privilege, then everyone must have it.  Perhaps it is time to bring civics class back.  You do not have to agree on moral grounds but to pretend that actions such as this are democratic is shameful and disrespectful to democracy.

Do you want to live in a democracy or a dictatorship?  Ask yourself this and really thing.  A democracy means that everyone must be equal, even if granting such equality might be morally objectionable to you.  If you are not comfortable with this then stop lying to yourself and proclaim your beliefs for what they are: theocratic, authoritarian and foolish.  If you can accept that maybe, just maybe, people can be happy through lifestyles other than the one you have, then fight for democracy and fight for human rights.

The choice is yours, speak your mind.

I won’t necessarily agree with what you say but I will fight for your right to say it.

Let us ensure we all understand a very simple thing before we get started on this: I, as a Canadian citizen, have the right to say nearly anything I please.  I cannot call for someone to be harmed.  I cannot discus some of the work I have done in the past.   The first is a limit on my freedoms which a functional democratic nation requires, the second is an agreement I personally signed.  There are a few select other cases where I cannot say what I chose to.  However, in most cases, I can.

A second thing to understand is that, while you and I have the right to be offended at what someone else says, we do not have the right to be free from offence.  In fact, offence is important if you can stand back and rationally examine what made you offended; if you realize that you were foolish for being offended and can move on, good for you; if you decide to remain offended then do not expect the situation to change.  You are entirely free to remain offended or ignore me, but you never gain the right to silence me.

Now everyone just step back and think about what was just said.  Really consider it.  Even the most rational of us often forget this.

And now we can move forward.

What this means is that I can say whatever I wish so long as I break no laws.  I am a Canadian citizen writing on a blog which is likely hosted in the United States of America.   It is fortunate for me that both of these nations respect such freedoms.

I will always say what I think and I will never censor anyone on this site so long as they are being civil and reasonable.  I would like it very much if everyone else did the same, all across the world.