"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Tuesday 27 October 2015

DEFEND TO THE DEATH HIS RIGHT TO SAY IT

I Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "FANCY SCHMANCY CULTURAL PRECINCT":

While I appreciate Mr Watts' participation in this thing, if he is reporting the facts of what happened perhaps he should not include the sarcastic editorial for which he is famous and strictly report the facts. That way, the people reading this can judge for themselves.

*******************************************


I appreciate your participation in what I  prefer to call conversation rather than "a thing".
The  comment receives prominence  because of your appreciation of information provided by Mr.  Watts.

Not because you take exception to his inimitable style of expression. 

Like it or lump it, you must take this citizen of the community as you find him. 

Any occasion time and energy are used to express an idea, a writer really is baring his soul. Opening himself up to criticism. No artifice can be employed. It's the real deal. A rare gift, destined to become more rare in the climate we find in Aurora.

The Aurora Citizen Blog was effectively silenced with litigation paid for with public resources and despite a successful but expensive defence.

What price democracy that has a price tag? 

I posted Christopher's comment with others and published it as a guest post. 

One, because it was informative. 
Two because I trust it to be accurate. 
And three because I needed not to write yesterday.

There are days when thoughts at the forefront of my mind would not be helpful by being shared.

They may even be dangerous to my well-being. 

On Sunday evening, I watched a news item on television about an event  in Turkey thought of as a modern state with democratic elections and such. Turkey is an ally of the west. During the Cold War the U.S. had a ring of missile bases in Turkey aimed at the population of the Soviet Republic. 

Sunday's news item put the lie to any similarity to democracy. 

An actor, playwright and blogger was performing a play to an appreciative but private audience. The State of Turkey does not allow the play to be publicly offered .

It is critical of politicians...the governing body.

As a blogger,critical of politicians, the actor-playwright-blogger risks arrest and incarceration for crimes against the state. 

We  are so much better off in Canada, are we not? 

We may not like what Christopher has to say about politicians or how he  chooses to say it when he puts pen to paper,so-to-speak. But he does have the right. 

Politicians  would  naturally prefer him not to exercise the freedom Canadians enjoy under the Charter of Rights. 

Rights are acknowledged at the same time limits are explained by  governors to the governed.

Quarter of a century before the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was signed into law, an editorial in the Aurora Banner quoted a maxim attributed to Voltaire hundreds of years prior. I was still learning. 

"I may disagree with what he said but I will defend to the death his right to say it"

Is it as true today as it was then? 

Or was it an illusion never  tested ?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christopher is always refreshing even if quite a bit of his material goes over my head.
I do understand his constant critic, though, and cannot recall it adding a single interesting bit of information,

Anonymous said...

There may be some that would want Christopher to stop with his critical blogging. But I do know that there are many more who don't. I may disagree with some of his opinions, but I do very much respect his blog and all that he writes. I find that the Error and all those other "professional" media outlets out there skewed and full of inaccuracies. Chris 's only vested interest is for the benefit of this Town. That I do know.

Anonymous said...

We DO judge for ourselves. What is that person talking about? How can we exchange information without a
difference of opinion ?

Anonymous said...

Unrelated to this post but we are now seeing the typical Liberal Party post-election win crap again.

A long time ago, Canada Post made a decision about home delivery and the use of CMB (Community Mail Boxes). Over the last few months we are starting to see the new boxes installed. As an aside, they look much nicer than the previous ones.

Now Trudeau Jr is saying that we need to stop this program and revert back. It was helicopters before but the net result was and will be huge costs to reverse a plan that everyone has come to peace with - not that they like it, but they have come to grips with it.

I know it was an election promise, but let's understand the costs.

Anonymous said...

Someone is trying to tell commenters to limit any sarcasm ?
What's next ? Readers should not be able to laugh ?

Anonymous said...

Correction, 20:16; that is something that you don't know but merely believe.

Christopher Watts said...

Thank you Evelyn for appreciating my participation in the discussion arising from your blog posts without some prim, proper and puritanical notion that I am bound to "strictly report the facts".

Last time I checked this was a comments section, not a rigidly controlled editorial for the Globe & Mail.

If this anonymous troll is so concerned that readers are somehow incapable of judging for themselves then it will take comfort in the fact that Brock from the Auroran was also in attendance and will likely have coverage in the latest edition.

Anonymous said...

Turkey did have it right for a tiny window of opportunity. Then this guy decided to stay, and stay, and stay......

Anonymous said...

"...a plan that everyone has come to peace with - not that they like it, but they have come to grips with it."

You're presuming to speak for "everyone"?! Wow!

Well, I've come to neither peace nor grips with it. Roll on the rollback!

Anonymous said...

auroran is up

Anonymous said...

Keep writing Christopher! Informative and funny. Does't get much better than that! I agree with 20:16. You're a huge asset to our Town. It just goes to show you don't have to be around that council table to make a difference.