Censorship

What is right? What is wrong? We all know. We can see it. But many of us hide. We hide behind our fears. We convince ourselves we have so much to lose by speaking up against evils. They said the revolution will not be televised, and they were right. Too much limelight makes martyrs of all of us. It’s easy to be a martyr or freedom fighter when you are young and have built nothing of substance. But when you have a family, a career, a reputation; things that took years, even decades to build up; that could be torn down in an instant by being cancelled for speaking out against injustices or just by being authentic and speaking your mind, it can bring pause to action. Those of us in this state, who actually give a damn, tend to have a daily crisis of conscience. I know I do…

So how do you go about navigating cancel culture, where speaking up for what you feel is right can be met with dire consequences?

Well you could say “fuck it” and speak up anyway. It’s possible nothing will happen, but when you speak up on social media, nothing is ever truly “deleted”. All it takes is for one person to copy your message and use it against you.

You could use pen names on social media to speak up, but no one will ever truly know it was you. This could be construed as cowardice, as someone hiding behind a veil of anonymity. Many people use this method for malicious purposes, i.e., to spew hate speech with no consequence.

You could quietly donate to the causes/campaigns of those who share your sentiments. This allows you to support the causes you champion without putting yourself in the limelight.

You could attend protests masked to protect your identity. Drones are everywhere these days and the government will use any and all methods at its disposal to enact control.

If the people you work for are directly affiliated with acts of oppression that you stand against, it may be a good time to start seeking out a new job.

You have to play it smart. Remember you have kids to feed, and a mortgage to pay. Don’t throw it all away on a “keeping it real goes wrong” moment.

It is unfortunate that we live in a society where free speech is an illusion. Big Brother is always watching. If you are middle class, you are censored the most. You have the most debt, and you typically have a family that depends on you for financial sustenance. The powers that be want you to sit down, be a good worker, and shut the fuck up.

But some of us just cannot do that… We are built to rebel, to fight the power, to stand up against oppression, because it is the right thing to do. So, what do you do if these half measures noted above just don’t cut it? Well, if that’s the case, then you should organize underground. Your communications should be only in person and vague/cryptic when written or spoken over the phone. Take your communication back to the days before electronics and social media became symbiotic with our livelihood. You can develop a cypher to communicate in written form. No one will track it or have the time or patience to crack your code.

Don’t go through life power-less. Never sacrifice your ethics out of fear of consequence. Be courageous, but also be smart. Be safe out there.

Genocide is wrong. Ethnic cleansing is wrong. Terrorism is wrong. Colonialism is wrong. Manifest Destiny is wrong. Hate based on race, ethnicity, faith, is all wrong. We should be living by the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Stand up when you see injustice. Take whatever form you need to but stand for something. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Navigate your way around censorship so you can be your best self...