The price we pay for free speech
By Letter to the Editor on January 16, 2019.
Re: “Catholic vicar under fire for homophobic remarks,” Jan. 10 It used to be when we heard something we didn’t like, we would ignore it and move on. How is it we have become such a snowflake society, that now news is covering people’s hurt feelings? Remember, “sticks and stonesÉ.” Both parties in this controversy have said things that the other has disagreed with. So what? Nothing happens. No one is forcing the other to sit and listen. No one is forcing anyone to believe, act or promote whatever is being said. You are individual agents. It’s time we stop being manipulated by such things. To be offended or not to be offended, that is the question. No character assassination required. The price of free speech is disagreeing with the speaker. Small price to pay in order for a nation to have a free exchange of ideas and thoughts. If we become afraid to talk, that would be the real crime. Maureen Prince Medicine Hat 9-8
Maureen,
Unfortunately when you hold a position with a platform as powerful as his, comments as ignorant and intolerant as his constitute hate speech. The reaction to his homophobic comments should be outrage, not merely dismissal as a simple difference of opinion. Regardless of his or your religious affiliation, condemning a group of people as mentally ill or as a product of Satan goes far beyond “sticks or stones”. I am not a “snowflake”, but rather an educated, atheist who believes in the science of transgender identity and the necessity of removing faith based intolerance such as his and yours from our publicly funded education system.