The Defence of Free Speech
Rowan Atkinson recently launched a principled defence of free expression, a cause he has championed for some time - previously concluding that: ‘Passionate belief that the right to express yourself freely is the second most precious thing in life… just below the need to sustain life itself’.
Mr Atkinson’s tone is strong, but justified. Our way of life, democracy and individual identity all depend upon the right to think and speak freely.
Indeed, the Founding Fathers of the United States, drawing on their British roots, recognised that their new nation could only prosper if it were built on the cornerstone of free expression. That’s why their very first constitutional amendment declared that: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances’.
It is deeply disturbing that now in our country these fundamental freedoms are under threat, as the boundaries of permissible thought, speech and action become ever narrower and those who dare to dissent from the liberal establishment’s beloved orthodoxy are derided and isolated. Take the heart-breaking case of Sarah Kuteh, who worked tirelessly as an NHS nurse for 15 years. Sarah was dismissed after she shared with her patients how her: ‘Faith in Jesus had helped her overcome adversity’. When she challenged her dismissal, an Employment Tribunal, chillingly, insisted that: ‘People should not express anything about their own beliefs without it first being raised as a question by someone else’.
History is replete with those who have claimed an exclusive understanding of virtue and gone to disturbing lengths to ensure they remain unchallenged. Indeed, it is freedom of speech that allows us to stand up to oppressors.
We must aim for nothing short of a bustling marketplace of ideas, each of which is constantly questioned, examined and held to account. If people are made to feel uncomfortable for thinking and speaking independently, the next generation will be defined by narrow mindedness. No longer granted the opportunity to develop skills sufficient to question and legitimise their own beliefs, they will be unable to defend shared values when they challenged by something - or someone - sinister. Such intellectual stagnation, born of ideological dogma, must be avoided at all costs. Too many Britons now barely know what defines our nation and why it matters.
Without the right to challenge, criticise - and even to offend - free expression becomes meaningless. It is admirable that Boris Johnson has refused to bow to those using political correctness in an attempt to silence him. In making a reasonable and measured defence of the legality of the Burka, his use of a quip to illustrate his point was deemed beyond the pale by the self-appointed guardians of language. We should take with a pinch of salt the pretence that such censorship is well-meaning. The definition of offence and discomfort is so broad these days, that for fear of causing it, many people feel unable to say what they mean or mean what they say.
Should you profoundly disagree with everything you’ve just read, I wish you only the best in your search for the truth. I will forever defend not only your right to speak about your ideas, values and beliefs but, just as importantly, your right to challenge mine.
