Freedom of speech. A lot of people talk about it, without knowing what the fuck goes with it.
For years, I considered this freedom of speech. It's like money. I want to have it, for my own personal use, but I don't want others to have the same thing. Lest it devalues my own freedom of speech.
Why? Because I want to control magic. Because speech is magic. Words are magic. When we do magic, what do we do? We cast spells, which is a fancy way of saying we spell words. We spell magic.
Wardings are wordings. Curses are just bad words. Grimoire is French for grammar, and no one is fancier than the French.
I have always been fascinated with the importance people put on writings. On things people say, or write. It is a way to define reality. The Scarlet Witch had that power, and look at what she did for House of M.
"I can write," thought a 14-year-old me. "Better than these idiots. And they PAY for writings."
It was the brainstorm of the century.
So anyway, having established that writing is magic, and even simply saying things make them true and real, people seek to control it.
They don't want simply you or me to have it. God forbid we would use it to do things we might want for ourselves.
Freedom of speech is the great equaliser for reality-defining magic. If the people have access to it, then we might have a more equal world. That's why they don't want us to have it. They're afraid we might take what they have.
With freedom of speech, MUST come acceptance of multiple views. Of opposing views. I think that's good. I think that's crap. I think you're crap, I think you're fucking great in the sack.
When Kosmo! ran that article on Yasmin Ahmad, I was not standing with the people who were calling for its blood.
When Hujan stated that they did not like effeminate men, I did not agree with the gays and lesbians and 'people who believed in freedom of speech' to shut down Hujan, forever.
When those people lambasted the Agong on his online guestbook, I thought they were stupid, and perhaps deserved to be punished by the law, but I never begrudged them their right to say whatever, whenever.
And so when Dr Ridhuan Tee decided to write and publish his articles, I can't safely go and condemn his right to express his views without sounding like a hypocrite.
That is, IF I believe in freedom of speech.
Oh, it has to be absolute. No two ways about it. Either for, or against. I can't be a little bit on the side of freedom of speech as much as a girl can't be 'just a little bit pregnant'.
It is problematic, this freedom of speech thing.
Imagine if people were to publish libelious things about me, or say slanderous things? I'd say go ahead and publish them. I won't encroach on their freedom of speech, but I will hold them to their word. I'll probably sue. Not to shut them up, but to get money. I like money.
Publish all you like. And show me the money.
That would be MY freedom.
I am a writer, therefore, I am the sorcerer supreme.
