It probably won’t surprise you to know that we at the Mail feel pretty strongly about free speech.
It’s an excessively buzzworthy topic at the moment, with various partisan sides of politics and society using it as either a weapon or excuse against each other, depending on the context.
Controversial West Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam addressed it in parliament this week, stating there needs more to be done to protect the inalienable right to free speech, in the face of ongoing appropriation and, really, dilution. You only have to glance at your social media to see how willing and able we all are, now, to accuse someone else of racism, sexism, or any number of potential generalisations.
Take Stephen Fry recently being arrested in Ireland for Blasphemy, or Coopers’ vilification for daring to sponsor a debate on same-sex marriage. It’s important to debate these things, of course, but why do they have to constantly be such vitriolic?