I made this graphic today while thinking about everything going on right now. So many are being banned and suspended on various platforms for speaking their minds, and in some cases joking. Certain voices are not welcome, and they are censored under the guise of hate speech or other falsities. This is very frightening.
Even though it takes a lot to offend me, I've spent years carrying my voice on egg shells because I was afraid of offending another person. After years of keeping to myself, keeping away from social media, I am trying to correct that... trying to overcome that self-sacrificing obsession. In a way, I took speech for granted, because I thought I was keeping others safe by biting my tongue in various situations. I overlooked the times in my past I had felt offended, and how I dealt with such feelings. In reality, if a person happens to offend you, it is a unique opportunity to reflect on yourself and reflect on why you were offended, instead of taking someone else's self-expression as a personal attack.
My mom was one of the kindest, most selfless people I have ever known. She always, ALWAYS spoke her mind. Sometimes her delivery was oddly timed, or a little blunt. Sometimes I saw the offense in the person she was speaking with, though they would promptly brush it off. I'm somewhat certain she was blissfully unaware of those reactions, meanwhile I irrationally obsessed over them. I was always trying to figure out if there was a way to communicate in a non-offensive manner. This was was a long, torturous path that would inevitably lead to many failures before I became too mentally exhausted to continue!
The point is you can spend your whole life watching what you say, and it is still going to rub someone the wrong way. You can dedicate your entire life to not offending anyone, and you're still going to hurt somebody's feelings. Limiting expression is limiting reflection. Limiting growth. You don't become strong by living in a bubble and being sheltered from pain and "offenses" your whole life, you become strong by overcoming obstacles. We are all responsible for our own feelings, and we have a right to have them whatever they may be. The line is drawn when you try to inhibit someone else's freedom of expression because it doesn't make you feel good. That is a dangerous path to travel, for the sake of your own sanity, and for the liberty of all. Our first amendment must be protected.
