When someone has encountered threats and abuse in any given medium, we can respond in such a way that affirms that person’s moral right to continue expressing themselves freely in that forum, or we can respond in such a manner so as to make it clear that we would prefer that the threats and abuse have precisely their intended effect, that is, silencing the subject of the attacks and making them abandon the forum altogether. Naturally, I find the latter sort of response incompatible with the core humanist values of compassion and free expression.
Lest there be any confusion about what I’m talking about here, I’ve compiled a few examples from just the past couple of weeks of silencing efforts directed at just one secular activist. While these “shut up and go away” sort of messages are not necessarily abusive in and of themselves, they indirectly support the abusers by sending the message that the target of their attacks should give in to them and cede the field of ideas.
Your thoughts?
