America was once a country of free speech. But it's hard to know how to describe it today. The core of that freedom seems to be M.I.A.
The way our craven, immoral, uncouth ex-president would describe it, there's still an open season on mischaracterizations, outright lies, tasteless insults, inflammatory hateful treasonous rhetoric and toddler-esque potty-talk. (That's free speech.) Sadly, there are Americans who still listen to the crap that gushes from his tiny brain and diarrheal little mouth. I guess it's safe to say that, while most of us are subject to some muzzling, Trump has enjoyed a flagrant misuse of that cherished freedom.
For the rest of us, there's a growing awareness of the feelings that our bad choices of words can elicit, along with a bonus: a better-developed moral conscience for both spoken and written communications. And that's all well and good. The trouble is that, in pursuit of kinder communication, we've also lost an ideal that was precious. The number of fatalities from the so-called "cancel culture" have burgeoned, and people—especially public figures—have become loath to even open their mouths.
Free speech, my ass. Somewhere, along the way, we seem to have lost the art of the unvarnished, bare truth.
And we're not to blame. Over the past few years, we've been sold the idea that communication requires a great deal of fear and paranoia—an immobilizing concern that some of our words will be taken out of context or, even worse, that people will understand them exactly the way we intended. We have reason to be afraid—particularly those with a public reputation and presence—for what we say will be virtually criminalized by a society that has focused on minutia instead of the broad content of meaningful communication.
It's worth noting, there's a certain wisdom in understanding that careless words will come back to haunt us. It's true in relationships; it's a fundamental part of cooperative politics; it's essential to being part of any group.
Those who don't give adequate attention to their choice of words appear to be the bad guys. But are they?
When our own parents called us hopeless morons—a big no-no—and friends made racially-charged statements about our top athletes or the diverse families living two houses away, we considered it acceptable. The reality is that Blacks, whites, gays, the congenitally-defective and the religious whackos are what they are. Adjusting the monikers to comply with society's demands doesn't change a thing.
Mature adults should be able to accept that specific terminology fits the language of the time period. But believe me, if you choose to offend the piffling, petty, nit-picking dweebs of today's America, you will likely receive the lash.
Despite America's screaming constitutionalists, the ideal of "free speech" is being compromised by the vigilante censors who pour over every word and search for ways to draw the blood out of every reasonable opinion. Frankly, our Founding Fathers would not be happy with America today. It was supposed to be a place wherein all voices could be heard, and all opinions considered and honored. Now, it isn't.
The ongoing era of "political correctness" has been with us now for quite a few years. Our candid frankness has become scarce. We've lost our collective honesty—dogged and stalked by the Niceness-and-Propriety Gestapo.
In an apparent effort to treat the various minorities with kid-glove care, Americans have been given a schoolkids' primer to help them navigate the cold, hard facts, without stepping on anyone's toes.
It's both good and bad. The inclination of Americans to view and comment on current events in a less-than-polite manner was a fundamental part of the past. Just like Archie Bunker, we rejoiced in the occasional, straight-forward words of a largely-unrefined, red-necked, highly-vocal populace.
Today, American fear opening their mouths; the slightest parting of the lips is just another opportunity for a slip that society will deem to be improper. At worst, words can end a career, destroy relationships, create financial ruin, and invite legal woes. All that, because of a little frankness.
The reality is that, for every destructive element in our society, there's also a flip-side, and the war-on-words is no exception. It has reminded us of our sometimes-careless disregard for kindness in our communication. Somehow, the worst offenders are still talking.
My take: It's time to stop the endless, exaggerated responses to the intricate details of communication. Quit canceling people for their honest—and often innocent—choices of words, and get back to a standard wherein the meat of discourse is not being endlessly attacked by a bunch of ignorant prima donnas.
It's time to give a little reverence to the sacred principle of free speech and to revisit the understanding that the truth isn't always kind.
The author is a retired businessman, novelist, columnist, and former Vietnam-era Army assistant public information officer. He lives in Riverton, Utah with his wife, Carol, and the beloved ashes of their mongrel dog.
