Have you ever wanted to share something beautiful with friends or a group and held yourself back?
Maybe you just got a beautiful gift from a loved one, something you have always wanted and decided to just "loud it" in appreciation of the person, or just because you love doing so.
Or you had a thought on a particular topic, trending or not and decided it isn't worth your stress because you are not ready for the toe to toe that occurs on the virtual streets
What made you hold back on doing so? Did you feel bullied? What then is the need to tout "freedom of speech" if we are really not going to live by it?
We really are in interesting times and most would want to blame a lot of factors, including a generational gap and "modern times" but the truth is, this has been going on for générations and is just on full glare.
I mean, don't you remember the famous quote by Idi Amin "there is freedom of speech but freedom after speech, that I cannot guarantee. Or is it ancient times where people were killed ruthlessly for speaking against rulers, heck, Jesus was killed for just preaching and speaking the truth.
Now, we have more refined ways to find people and kill them by planting bugs or using your phone as a listening device by cloning it and so many others but I digress.
Social media has become a menace as you have people who are seen as the gatekeepers, dropping hot takes and getting away with it because of their influence and large following. Once you say something that is against those lines of thought, you find yourself being attacked by their minions or even misunderstood and insulted till you log off or close your page down.
I remember one time when I was active on Facebook and the blessed Pastor Iren had been sharing beautiful words on the net and I made a comment stating how I appreciated his growth in the ministry and how it was a beautiful thing to watch his spiritual development. Omo, e no reach one second, some minions punched down, yelling at how I could talk to their man of God like that, and some other vile stuff I would rather not repeat.
I was actually surprised because I know the Pastor had appreciated and liked my comment and even responded and I was wondering what I had said wrong. I was giving it to them hot hot as they were dropping and only calmed down when the Pastor said I should just forget about it.
Honestly, it was out of respect for him, because I for don show some people not to mess with me because their grammar was already painful enough to read.
But that's just one of many I have had and lately, I have been seeing some silly stuff from people that makes me annoyed.
Professor Uju Anya made a comment on the death of Queen Elizabeth and her tweet got deleted when it got a response from Jeff Bezos and the tweet was flagged as inciting. Now while I don't condone how she worded the tweet, which was from a place of deep pain, I feel like we are allowing Twitter to become a place of dull and babied people who just think life is a bed of roses.
Jordan Peterson said in order to speak, you have to risk being offensive, (or something like that because I am really paraphrasing here) and that is true. In conversations, you are going to hear things you don't like and you have to learn how to process them with understanding.
A woman saying she feels no sympathy for the Queen is her opinion. You don't have to like it but that is how she feels. Maybe a great portion of the world loved Eliza but a lot more hated her guts too.
I mean have you seen Irish Twitter and Tiktoks? You would be guffawing all day. Infact, one of their Tiktoks was done in front of the Buckingham palace and it was shared to Twitter and Twitter flagged it, claiming it is misrepresenting information. It put the warning for those who wanted to retweet or like the video.
If you go around flagging everything you don't agree with, how would the world function?
Or let's digress to Mercy Chinwo who shared beautiful posts about gifts her hubby got her and someone made a whole post warning her to stop doing those so she doesn't become bigger than God or losing her ministry.
Infact, the person said she might let the praises get to her head and release a "worldly album" and that she should stop posting her husband or make the posts fewer so she doesn't make her husband God
Such impunity!!!!!
I'm really tired of people trying to gatekeep opinions and forcing people to be silent because they don't agree with them. See what they tried to do to Dave Chappelle and they lost. Haven't they learned?
Of course this doesn't apply to really disturbing posts but when it comes to opinions, damn, can you keep your performative sanctimony? You say worse things or think about them, they are just not on social media.
I really hope we start having a world where people can have healthy discussions without being shut down for a difference in opinion.
I also hope we have a world where people learn better ways to speak so you don't come off as off-putting
Freedom of speech doesn't really exist though, in my opinion, diplomatic or regulated speech on the other hand is the best way to go
Unless you don't care about being offensive, then kudos to you.
Risk being offensive or train yourself to be desensitized to offense.
Your call!!!
Let me know what you think about my piece
By the way, the Rap Queen just dropped a heavy QueenMix and put underdogs on. Shout out to Nicki Minaj, hip hop legend and VMA vanguard royalty.
Stay fresh and Thank God
Have a blessed week
SAY YOUR PIECE BUT THIS GATE WOULD BE KEPT
By
Queensley Okon