The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Collegian editorial board.
How quickly we have gone from the constitutional ideals of individual freedom to mob rule. Americans used to value freedom of speech, but now avoiding the potential for someone to take offense supersedes the importance of freedom. This is especially obvious in the form of cancel culture, which Merriam-Webster dictionary describes as “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.”
Recently, this has become increasingly more prevalent. Celebrities, including Gina Carano, Sharon Osborn and J. K. Rowling have been canceled for right-leaning political views or “offensive” comments. Children’s entertainment such as Dr. Seuss’s books (canceled by his estate) and “The Muppet Show” (labeled by Disney as having “offensive content”) have been deemed inappropriate for children to consume. Statues of historical figures are torn down. Social media sites remove posts or completely block people (such as former President Donald Trump and Steven Crowder).
But, we live in a time of inclusivity and increased sensitivity toward people of diverse backgrounds. We do not want to be offensive or hurtful, right? We should try to be kind and sensitive. The Bible talks about the power of the tongue and what Christian speech should look like (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 4:6, James 1:26).
However, this does not mean that we should shut down any voices with which we disagree or deem offensive. Preventing certain viewpoints from being expressed because they are offensive is a dangerous practice because it threatens the very core balance of a free society. “Animal Farm” author George Orwell said, “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
The problem with cancel culture is that it could eventually result in a radicalized society where only one viewpoint is allowed to be expressed and all others are silenced. There will no longer be any freedom to choose your own opinion or think for yourself.
Even if the only things being canceled are things that are deemed “offensive,” this is still dangerous. We must allow room for all viewpoints to be expressed, regardless of how offensive they may seem. Just because someone is dead wrong or perceived as offensive does not mean that they lose their right to express their opinion.
Furthermore, whose place is it to decide what is offensive and what is not? Nearly anything could be considered offensive by someone. Benjamin Franklin said, “If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.”
Many people are being canceled not because they are objectively offensive, but because they disagree with the political left (and the left finds disagreement offensive). An example would be the many conservative or right-leaning politicians and political figures who have been blocked from social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (and when Parler attempted to create an environment of free speech, companies like Amazon and Apple tried to shut them down). It is obvious that cancel culture goes beyond just censoring offensive content – it wants to censor anything and everything that does not align with its beliefs.
The blacklisting of celebrities in Hollywood bears a close resemblance to the blacklisting of the late 1940s and 50s. However, while the goal then was to shut down perceived communists, the goal now is to shut down (primarily) conservatives by labeling them as “racists” and their words as offensive. Redemption and change are considered impossible as celebrities are canceled because of age-old quotes or posts that may not necessarily represent who they are today.
The right to determine whether media is appropriate for children is being taken out of the hands of parents. Companies like Disney determine that certain content is too offensive for children, ignoring the liberal ideology such as critical race theory and gender identity taught in school and on television. For instance, the new alphabet song in the revamped “Blue’s Clues” series has the letter “P” standing for “pride” and broadcasts a variety of sexuality flags. Dailywire reported a California elementary school had third-graders deconstructing their genders and identifying their racial privilege.
Tangible evidence of history is being destroyed as statues are torn down. Regardless of the intention of those tearing down the statues, this could have terrible consequences. The resulting lack of physical evidence will make it easier for people to claim later that certain historical events never happened. Once the physical evidence is gone, the only barrier remaining is printed material, which can easily be censored. Social media sites block views with which they disagree so that those voices will be silenced and unable to reach wide audiences.
“Threats to freedom of speech, writing, and action, though often trivial in isolation, are cumulative in their effect,” Orwell said, “and, unless checked, lead to a general disrespect for the rights of the citizen.”
Once upon a time, people used to say, “I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” We now say, “If I don’t agree with what you say, it is offensive and you, therefore, have no right to say it.” You may think this change of ideals will never affect you or your freedoms, but just remember that some people consider the Bible (and other religions’ holy books) offensive.
