Bullet Points
• You are free to say • Anything at all • Free to stand • First against the wall
• You are free to say • Whatever you ought • Free to speak • A bullet for your thoughts
• You are free to say • That freedom was sought • In the words that wound • And a bullet for your thoughts _________________________________ With a nod to the genius of George Orwell's 1984 which I reread this year.
Whatever is happening in the UK with our divisive politics, Brexit and societal disharmony, we should all be grateful that our right to free speech remains as the basis of our society. We are fortunate to live in a country that does not persecute those who speak out or protest against governments and regimes, does not supress their human rights and lock them up arbitrarily, but rules by the court of law, rather than punitive punishment. We are lucky we can speak out and not be shot or hung for doing so. But while free speech is the right to say what you wish, that should never mean what is said is without consequence. Racist, sexist, defamatory language has no place in society.
