Christopher Hitchens on free speech

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When I was reading the story about ESW and how she is being treated in a way that most of us would consider unthinkable for a modern democracy, I was reminded of a moment in one of my all time favourite speeches by Christopher Hitchens when he spoke in Toronto on the matter of freedom of speech.

I clipped out that bit with a link to the story in the post below about Elisabeth but the whole speech is really worth seeing. It is perhaps, Hitchens at his very best. Check out the 3 minute clip but please do stay and watch the whole thing below. It is well worth it. I have posted it before on Vlad but not since well over a year ago and if you have seen it, it is well worth seeing again.

Eeyore for Vlad.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

2 Replies to “Christopher Hitchens on free speech”

  1. Free Speech comes with personal responsibility as words can hurt and being thoughtless and rude can offend and create enemies.

    I’ only came across his name yesterday and have educated myself a bit about him. What he believes to me is irrelevant. To respectfully disagree in a polite manner is an absolute necessity.

    From what I’ve seen Christopher on many occassions has failed to live up to this standard and thereby was unwilling to accept the responsibility associated with speaking freely.

    I only have to read some of the blogs full of hatred towards this man to validate my point. He has offended many through his speech. He is not the person I would go to hear giving a lecture on the subject.

  2. So in other words Dave, you only believe in free speech for people you agree with. That means you have a lot in common with pretty much every tyrant in history and it ends up boiling down to who has the most force behind what can and cannot be said. I do not agree with Hitchens on every word he said. But the world is a better place for his having said it. There are always those ready to tell us all what we can and cannot say, think and write or do in the interests of free expression. But precious few who are ready to fight for those who disagree with them to have their voice as after all, new ideas that will always be offensive to some, are what allows humanity to move forward, to end slavery, to allow free will to women and other ideas that are profoundly offensive to the more primitive among us.