Freedom in a Post Modern World: Decadence or Progress?

As I watch the people march in Paris for unity, just days after a vicious attacks by radical voices, I take heart that Freedom seems to be stirred and maybe is having a renewed awakening.  The people of France and really the people of the Western world have reawakened to the fact that Western Culture does have some deep seated values, sadly I think most people don't even know these values, yet we just live while not knowing how to put into words.

This word Liberte or Liberty or Freedom, what does it mean in 2015.  We know it has been attacked, not just a few days ago by a bunch of terrorists but by a wide range of people.  In the West we have seen an erosion of independent minded media, at least in what I will call "old" media, billionaires buying this or that newspaper and news station, in some way that has created a vacuum that "new" media is now much more polarized.  Whether this is a good or bad thing is a discussion for another day.

Why is freedom so fundamental to Western Society?  I was following and even participating in an online discussion via a German Media's blog.  It centered around, "Should media post the depiction of the Prophet Mohammed, in light of the violence it has sparked?"  The prevailing notion seemed to be YES, Print!  Yet the responses were varied, as normal, in various degree's of thoughtfulness.  Yet I offer a few posts, just to show how contentious some were on this idea of Freedom of expression. 

via Facebook:  "if you continue printing it means you're ready with the consequence, good Muslims are ready to die for thier  (sic) beloved prophet

via Facebook:  "Notice there is no terrorism in the UAE or other wealthy Muslim countries They do not tolerate it. Most of the fanatics leave their own countries because they cannot make it their. The killing of these cartoonists was murder"

via Facebook:  "If being insulting to any religion is freedom of speech then i dont want freedom of speech...... respect other's religion to spread peace and harmony between religion and people...."

via Facebook:  "Let them publish cartoons and get ready to be........."

Just a few of the more extreme examples, almost if not threats of violence, with a few more being even more direct statements of almost sympathy with the "Fanatics of Islam".  There is in the world, mainly outside of the West that we should not have unfettered "Freedom of Expression" or that it ends when you insult someone. Even non-Muslim voices, such at those at the "Catholic League" even have insinuated that some of the blame is on the Charlie Hebdo publication.

I will argue that we have claimed this as a right. It has been a long fought and ever debated value, yet one that I feel for most people in the west take for granted, and this act does stir in us a response and a memorial that YES, this is a value I hold and even need to "March for, Fight For and in for some have now Died for."  We need to be daughter's and son's of Liberty and more specifically for "Freedom of Expression", otherwise it I would argue that it will trample on the dignity of the human person.  One only has to look at the constitution's and or documents of many governments in the West.


Germany

Article 5 [Freedom of expression]  From the Basic Law of the German Federal Republic

(1) Every person shall have the right freely to express and disseminate his opinions in speech, writing, and pictures and to inform himself without hindrance from generally accessible sources. Freedom of the press and freedom of reporting by means of broadcasts and films shall be guaranteed. There shall be no censorship.
(2) These rights shall find their limits in the provisions of general laws, in provisions for the protection of young persons, and in the right to personal honor.
(3) Art and scholarship, research, and teaching shall be free. The freedom of teaching shall not release any person from allegiance to the constitution.

www.iuscomp.org/gla/statutes/GG.htm

France
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, of constitutional value, states, in its article 11:  (Republic of France)

The free communication of thoughts and of opinions is one of the most precious rights of man: any citizen thus may speak, write, print freely, save [if it is necessary] to respond to the abuse of this liberty, in the cases determined by the law.

United States of America

First Amendment :  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.




 This value the Freedom of Expression is now deeply engraved in the West, it seems to be slowly reaching all parts of the world and those who see it are alarmed. Not so much because what it meant in the past but what they see and fear it will do in their future.

   How do we express this common value in the future?  Time will tell but it seems to be in the symbol of a pen.

  

    Viva Liberte!  Long live Liberty.

Douglas F. Langner
Sunday January 11, 2015