Friday, April 2, 2010

Free Speech vs. Tolerance

In a city like Ottawa we have to wear our politicly correct hat all the time. Well mine is coming off, I would just like to preface by saying I am not classified as any strict political type. I believe that all veiws are relevent and necsassary to our society and culture.
Ann Coulter sparked great debate among all when she was requested to "tone it down", by the president of Ottawa U. This in my opinion was done on his part to ensure possibly her safety and to ensure her message would not be misconstrued as slander. No such luck, She decided to set off a slanderous bomb, for lack of a better term. Her email to the Ottawa Citizen was the beginning of the end of her stay in Ottawa. I will not quote her plainly because I do not wish to hear what she said again.
After these protests and debates over wrong and right, who is and who isn't?
No one, I beleive this is no longer the great debate of free speech it has turned into a question of tolerance. Do we have it or not?
When you have the fortune of living in a country that has social programs, free lunch programs in schools, good shelters and soup kitchens, and assistance for all. That would dictate a generous and responsible society. Many would disagree with me, Taxes are high, school systems are down, no art grants. all valid arguements. I agree we are the cultivaters of art and fitness in this country. Now how many art programs are available in say Uganda Or Haiti. How many of you live in a leaning piece of cardboard against a wall to house you and your 3 children because your husband was killed by a solider for not getting out of the way fast enough. Do you think that woman should not merit any kind of help to get out of a situation that is not of her doing, should her chldren suffer and starve to death because their father didn`t get off the street when told.
This never would have happened here, this is in my mind the reason our tolerance needs to rise. We have high awareness and we have compassion and we are the first in to help out when the going gets tough.
There are though those who feel in the right to say that they feel bullied into this ¨mulit-cultural¨ society. I don`t feel bullied I feel as if it is something that enriches our cities schools and businesses. I do agree there are some who when given the chance will abuse the system, don`t be too diluted we do it ALL the time and feel it in our right because it`s our country. Well I say Ok thet is your issue with the welfare office. they have hotlines call it in if your such a concerned citizen. People like to talk but they have no action. For them Shut it!
Back to the tolerance in our society you have the right, no the privledge to speak your mind the one thing you must bear in mind, so does everyone else. Deal with it. You feel so bullied go to a country that some of these people came from and see why it is that their here now. I don`t know many people who would up root the whole family to move across an ocean or contient just because they had a bad week. I say this is free country and you are free to leave if you feel so hard done by, just do us a favor drop us a card before you go infront a firing squad ( yes they still have them in some places) for running that mouth.
I have had, do have, and always will have friends of the ¨multi-cultural¨ back grounds. I am proud of the fact that I don`t always agree with what they say or do but I have tolerance for their right to do it.

No comments:

Post a Comment