GhanaCelebrities.Com editor Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri has taken the beleaguered multimedia journalist Manasseh Azure back to school for a free speech lesson after the latter embarked on a blocking extravaganza earlier today (Thursday).
Manasseh, fed up with the massive trolling coming his way for his TKO loss at the hands of Nana Kwame, decided to block some of those trolling him.
Social media Thursday was filled with stories of people revealing how Manasseh had blocked them, with that even sparking another round of trolling.
Chris-Vincent, a noted free speech advocate who often espouses controversial views, schooled Manasseh on the need for tolerating dissenting opinions if one claims to be for free speech.
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With a well known photo of Manasseh in a t-shirt with the inscription ‘free speech is not a license to be stupid’ accompanying the post – Chris-Vincent eloquently explains why free speech is indeed a licence for one to be stupid, and offensive.
Read his post below…
Freedom of Speech, the hallmark of any democracy is one of the most important human rights, especially to journalists.
Therefore, as a journalist, I find it pathetic and somewhat hypocritical that even a regressive liberal like Manasseh Azuri who enjoys Free Speech will fall on censorship through Facebook blocking, because a bunch did not agree with him or mocked him.
The quintessence of Freedom of Speech is the right to be offensive–and every journalist, in particular, Manasseh who lives by the keyboard and pen should respect this right, so others who are constantly at the mercy of our keyboards will find a reason to accord to it the needed regard.
Perhaps, President Mahama should have banned Manasseh from all government related coverages because he wrote a lot his government or himself didn’t like.
Though wrongly attribute to Voltaire, these words capture it all; “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”
Of course Free Speech is not absolute but banning people for mocking you, being offensive or disagreeing with you has never been a justifiable reason to ‘gag others.’
Kim Jong-un has even discarded this sort of absurd totalitarian tactic!
And Azuri, you got it all wrong: Free Speech is indeed a license to be stupid–and on top, a license to even be offensive! It’s a well established legal principle…If you want, I can provide you with countless legal authorities!
-Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri