Archived Opinion

Challenge those who would censor you

To the Editor:

Referring to a recent letter to the editor, the writer suggested that anything or any opinion that disagreed with his/her own was a lie and that folks should avoid watching Fox News. I can’t help but wonder where all these attempts at censorship are going to lead us?

In Russia, Venezuela and other countries too numerous to name, one can end up in jail for being critical of the government or challenging those that run their country.

I have no doubt that if they could, some liberals and leftists would gladly flip a switch and shut down any television or print media they disagree with. And lately, the illiberal left has been showing their male intolerance for women who work at Fox News, referring to them as “dumb blondes.”

A Duke University professor is being fired because he made the connection that Asian immigrants tend to use American names for their kids but black Americans tend to use African or Muslim names for their kids. To him, it meant that black Americans were failing to assimilate but Asians were. Understanding a problem was censored.

There are some eternal problems in censoring opposing ideas and opinions. First of all, whose opinion is the right opinion? Does anyone really have all the answers and has anyone figured out exactly and precisely what’s best for humanity?

Over the years I’ve had the pleasure to meet many highly talented and intelligent people in my life but sadly, their knowledge was limited to narrow fields and lacked wisdom outside their field of endeavor.  Obviously, no one has a handle on wisdom.

All this tells us that we need to keep open minds and listen to all media.

So yes, continue to watch Fox News, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, CNN and all the rest lest you suffer the fate of being narrow minded and having a closed mind. North Korea is a good example of when some idiotic “Great Mind” is pulling all the strings.

Surely, most are intelligent enough to weigh all factors and don’t need to be told what to watch or read, much less what to think. Challenge those who would censor you.

Bob Wilson   

Franklin

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