OpinionJournal - Peggy Noonan: "It is not only about rage and resentment, and how some have come to see them as virtues, as an emblem of rightness. I feel so much, therefore my views are correct and must prevail. It is about something so obvious it is almost embarrassing to state. Free speech means hearing things you like and agree with, and it means allowing others to speak whose views you do not like or agree with. This--listening to the other person with respect and forbearance, and with an acceptance of human diversity--is the price we pay for living in a great democracy. And it is a really low price for such a great thing.
We all know this, at least in the abstract. Why are so many forgetting it in the particular?
Let us be more pointed. Students, stars, media movers, academics: They are always saying they want debate, but they don't. They want their vision imposed. They want to win. And if the win doesn't come quickly, they'll rush the stage, curse you out, attempt to intimidate."
Friday, October 13, 2006
Why the Left Fears Dissent
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1 comment:
Well, sure.
People don't want free speech, they want to win the argument.
Free speech isn't natural, it has to be learned. It is cultural. And it conflicts deeply if one feels that what one is saying is the voice of God.
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