The Case for Free Expression

Lately, free expression over the internet such as blogging is becoming harder and harder to defend. Well, maybe not that much harder but I suppose you get the idea on where I might be going with this.

As we all should know, bloggers, deaf or otherwise, have the right to their own free expression, including how they see fit in moderating comments in their own blogs which may include editing, deletion or have the commenter's IP address banned. That is their right as a blogger. But lately there seems to be a rash of six year old kids running around crying foul just because some blogs got a hold of their sensibilities upsetting their foundational/core beliefs. They may cry foul the form that their brand of free speech or expression ought to be protected all the way down to the blogger's comment section. Not only is this stupid it also breaches the very notion of individualilty and choices given to each of us. A blogsite is a personal one. He or she decides how to run it. Commenting in other people's blog sites is simply a privilege and never a right or freedom of speech issue. But the attitudes I have been seeing lately by those who get their panties in a wad just because somebody else's view about deafness, Deaf culture, sign language, cued speech or whatever not do not jive with their beliefs do they demand and cry foul that certain blogsites need to get removed or banned from a blog aggregator site like Deafread. Pitchfork and torches? Now really. Some people just need to learn to calm down and bask in the glory of each blogger's own freedom of speech and expresssion. Don't like? Then do you own blogging.

Deafread has taken to their own entreprenurial spirit by turning their website into a human controlled, blog aggregator site. Yet they have rules and guidelines to go by on what's acceptable and what's not. Even though unacceptable cuss words and perhaps vulgarities are still getting through when #2 of the guidelines explains the acceptability of cuss words. Just saying. Nobody's perfect. We know that.

Deafread's human editors screen out numerous blogs each day deciding which ones are acceptable or not. They have that right. After all it is their own blog aggregator website. It simply becomes a priviledge to be listed on their website as registered bloggers even though Deafread borders nearly as a "deaf only" (note the smaller cap "d" letter) blog aggregator site if you read their small print.

Posts by hearing authors are welcome but face a more stringent standard.

Just noting the obviousness here. That's all.

But the gist what I'm trying to get at is that though there are some Deaf people out there who believe that certain Deaf/deaf/hh blogs need to be banned from Deafread only because they present alternative or differing views apart from the mainstream Deaf population (or even according to a few extremists' own views). Even though these bloggers haven't violated any of Deafread's guidelines that would warrant expulsion or removal of registration. Just that some people's sensibilities may be a wee bit warped demanding certain Deaf/deaf/hh blogs be banned because they don't suit them?

Looking back, I did a poll in June asking Deaf readers this question:

In a Deaf world, if you had unrestricted power to censor any Deaf/HH blogs or blogsites because they may have “ethically violated” certain Deaf “protocols," “rules,” or even "standards" whenever deaf-related issues or viewpoints presented are not accepted by the majority of Deaf people’s opinions, would you go ahead and remove that blogpost or blogsite completely from the internet leaving no trace of its existence? In short, if you had the power to remove blogposts and/or blogsites from the internet would you do it?

My poll result showed (so far) that 36 out of 116 who voted would do that if given the absolute power to access any deaf/Deaf/hh blogsites or its comments. Now, no polls are accurate and mine, of course, shouldn't be construed as one. There could be some people who misunderstood my question skewing the poll results. But this poll is not meant to be "scientific" but it does show an interesting side when (assuming Deaf people answered the poll and assuming Deaf people voted honestly in this poll) a poll results showed that 31% would use their given power to shut down other Deaf, deaf, or hoh blogsites who have contrarian views that do not suit their own sensibilities.

A scary scenario.

Now, I'm talking about those 116 who voted and this is not to be extrapolated to the larger Deaf population. People need to understand that. Also, the sample size isn't big enough for one thing to make any kind of inferences. And again, it's not meant to be a "scientific" poll to begin with. Just an ad hoc one.

But my poll results do beg the question though. Would some Deaf people actually do that if given absolute authority and power? Do they really believe in the free expression of ideas and exchanges even if it means they may turn out to be contrary to their own views or find them however unpalatable? How would any disagreements justify hate? Violence? Banishment? Or are we dealing with a sort of forward "cultish-thinking" crowd here? Again, I'm speaking about the very small minority of people out there and not about the whole Deaf/deaf/hh community. Yet when does personal hate cross the line? Would that be evidence of a lack of open-mindedness? Insecurity? Or a simple knee jerk reaction? Or is this an English issue that causes one to misconstrue what was said? Perhaps it's a political one? A combination of all those things? What would some of the factors be that causes some people to behave in such manners?

Just doing my usual analysis here. Exploring. Probing. Poking. Learning. And realizing the certain elements of truths that exist out there.

I know. I know. It's a funny world out there. Different strokes for different folks. So, let's not get too caught up in all this. And simply agree to disagree, and move on. Though I'm glad there is a place on the internet where a person can freely express their thoughts online. But once people start to demand and see that free thoughts and expressions curtailed and controlled against bloggers then that's when you should start to worry and question the sanity of those people making those demands.

That's all I have to say. Food for thought and enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.