Mark Jones was editor of the Gazette for 13 years from 2002-2015.
He has worked in Basingstoke in various roles for nearly 30 years and is the founder of Mr Blue Sky Consultancy and the values-led organisation #StrongerTogetherForum.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
This famous quote – which is often cited to describe the principle of freedom of speech – is often misattributed to the famous French writer and philosopher Voltaire.
It was, in fact, written by his biographer Evelyn Beatrice Hall in her 1906 book The Friends of Voltaire to summarise his attitude to free speech.
I’m glad to have learned the true origin, and author, of the saying.
It’s a saying that, I think, carries a lot of weight in any democracy – and it definitely resonates in today’s United Kingdom where politics has sadly become so divisive.
Like so many people, I don’t like seeing and hearing the hatred and bile that is spewed out by people on the extremes of the political spectrum.
But in a democratic country, I respect their right to have their say as part of a responsible and respectful democratic debate, even if I disapprove of what they say with every breath in my body.
Those words responsible and respectful are very significant because, of course, so many keyboard warriors do not take part in responsible and respectful debate.
For them, wearing the cloak of anonymity is their go-to place from where they can launch cowardly, offensive, and ill-informed attacks on people who have different views to their own.
Wishful thinking I know, but I think it would be a positive move if contributors to social media and other platforms had a legal obligation to disclose their identity.
We could then all see exactly who is wielding words of hate, division, fear and unwarranted abuse, something these secret contributors are presumably proud of or why else would they say or write such things?
What do you think? Oh, and please don’t bother to leave a comment if you are not willing to disclose your real name.
After all, why would you not want to be seen and heard as part of a responsible and respectful debate?
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