Much has been made of the recent comments by Senator Cory Bernardi regarding his book the Conservative Revolution (see the reviews and Twitter). All I will say is that I disagree with him. Based on his expressed values I almost certainly won’t read his book. And like Bill Shorten I can give personal examples!
It won’t be long until comments are offered that Cory Bernardi is exercising his freedom of speech. It may look like I’m ghost writing for Andrew Bolt or Piers Ackerman. There may even be an appeal to the new Human Rights Commissioner for Freedom Tim Wilson.
And according to the framers of free speech (warning: Wikipedia reference!), he should express his opinion without fear of penalty.
Why? Implicit in the right to free speech is that it is a right for all. Freedom of speech is for everyone.
Which presents a problem for those like me who disagree strongly.
It’s way too easy to tell him to shut up or insult him. Some have already.
The problem with that is my explicit and implicit attitude : the only person who should exercise freedom of speech is me and me alone.
Which means I can enjoy my moment of free speech. And silence everyone else’s freedom of speech.
Which mean freedom of speech is lost in the long run for me and for everyone else.
Andrew James Whalan 
4 responses to “Cory Bernardi and Freedom of Speech”
I was watching Law and Order the other night and a lawyer made the statement the intent of freedom of speech is for the exhange of ideas and learning, NOT to incite. I thing that sums it up nicely.
People like Cory incite. Max Tomlinson is another.
I’ll not be buying the book either!
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The world is turning into a dangerous situation where those in power try to silence the small contestants are people who like to speak openly and present the facts like they are.
We do find it strange that websites which promote free sex, violence all can say what they want, but when there are Christian sites they are confronted with censorship and people taking away their publications from the net. It is incredible how it can happen that Google brings censorship on some Christian website where only facts are given and as such nothing inappropriate is been said, except for those who do not like the truth.
It is also not fair to the many people who reacted and took time to gave their comment on the articles presented on such website. (This by the way does not concern our main website but the website of one of our brethren, which was ‘attacked’ and censored without giving him the right to defend or to know clearly whom made a complaint and for what – so called inappropriate postings – but if you go and see at his website nothing could be called offensive or inappropriate.)
Everybody should be careful not to hurt any other person in his right to speak. But everybody should also have the right to defend himself and should be able to express his opinion without fear of penalty.
We all should take care of that the right of freedom of speech can stay protected.
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[…] Cory Bernardi and Freedom of Speech (andrewwhalan.com) The problem with that is my explicit and implicit attitude : the only person who should exercise freedom of speech is me and me alone. […]
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[…] Cory Bernardi and Freedom of Speech (andrewwhalan.com) Implicit in the right to free speech is that it is a right for all. Freedom of speech is for everyone. […]
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