The Slant

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War declared on freedom of speech

By Roderick Reed
By Roderick Reed

Freedom of speech is under attack. In the last few weeks two incidents have seemed to draw a line in the sand. The recent movie the Interview and now at least 12 deaths associated with the attack on a magazine in Paris.

War has been declared on those who believe in freedom of speech. It should be noted that it is definitely not just Americans who are devoted to freedom of speech. Protest against the attacks are happening in the open streets in cities around the world. In an interview I saw on TV yesterday a French official called freedom of speech part of the French soul. The French he described feel so strongly about it that there will likely be a backlash against those who wish to limit it.

War has been declared on us but how to defend against someone who doesn’t wear a uniform, attacks regular citizens and follows no rules of engagement? This kind of war should scare you. Where does terrorism stop? Today’s free speech is tomorrow something else. The men who use terrorism as a tool of war are the ultimate wimps. They use undercover violence as a way to express themselves. They don’t have the courage to show their faces when they attack our way of life. Remember when our mothers told us as kids, “No hitting. Use your words.” This is what I liken terrorism to. A child-like violence used to persuade others when you have no other tools to use. Their use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, is in the pursuit of political goals. In the civilized world we use words, music and art to evolve the exchange between the legislators, institutions and others we don’t agree with. However frustrating or outraged the exchange can become it is still an exchange, a conversation among the civilized.

Another attack on free speech was waged by the North Korean government against the release of a movie. The film which I saw a couple weeks ago is an average comedy about two buffoons who have been given the task of killing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The movie was hardly worth the time it took to watch it. Did Kim watch this movie before he used his version terrorism to stop it? He should be embarrassed. The movie was stupid and so non-threatening in any real way that it exposes Kim Jong Uns insecurity as a leader to stop anything that even remotely undermines his leadership. Kim if you are a real leader of merit there is no need to defend yourself against a goofball movie. The one victory he can claim is that Sony caved in. Why did they do this? They have opened the door now to future threats against free speech. Sony did the wrong thing and the consequence of self imposed limits on free speech will surely open the door to other threats from other groups in the future.

The question has been asked how do we defend against these destructive cowardly acts? It may have already started to happen. Lawyer Richard Malka told Le Monde that the French newspaper will still publish a new edition Wednesday. And it will print 1 million copies, more than 20 times its usual circulation. The movie “The Interview” last week reported over $30 million in sales. These are good sales for a bad movie. The movie was not released in traditional widespread release to theaters. Instead it was released in digital format over services like Netflix.

The victory lays here. Freedom of speech and freedom of ideas cannot be contained by terrorism or anything else. Humans enjoy and crave their right to oppose or love an idea, a song or work of art or any other form of expression. To try to defy it is fruit less in the end.

“L’amour plus fort que la haine” (Love is stronger than hate). Our hearts are with you Paris.

 

Roderick Reed owns REEDesign Interiors in Laguna Beach. He lives in town with his wife Kathy and two sons Mason and Jack. http://roderickreed.com/.

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