Isn’t this just such a lovely example of today’s liberal public settlement? If you are guilty of wrongthink then you’re banned from using the usual societal tools. Even, banned from using the tools which many use to establish, in the courts and the law, their rights.
Sure and of course any private business can deny the custom of anyone they like. But that such are being banned on such nakedly political grounds might give us all a little pause for thought. For if falling foul of one of today’s fashionable strictures cuts us off from those societal tools then how long before those fashions determine who may function in society?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] An online fundraising page by sacked former Wallabies full-back Israel Folau has been taken down for violating GoFundMe’s terms of service, the crowdfunding platform has said. The rugby star launched the fundraising drive last week, asking for A$3 million (£1.6m) to help towards the costs of his legal action against Rugby Australia. On Monday, GoFundMe said it was removing Folau’s campaign from its website and would refund the thousands of dollars already donated. “After a routine period of evaluation, we have concluded that this campaign violates our terms of service,” said Nicola Britton, of GoFundMe Australia. [/perfectpullquote]Well, not so much terms of service as they don’t like what he says:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “As a company, we are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ+ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity. While we welcome GoFundMes engaging in diverse civil debate, we do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.” “Our platform exists to help people help others,” she added. [/perfectpullquote]Time was when someone openly gay would – or at least could – be jailed and would certainly be denied access to society’s wider tools. Today someone who states the standard Biblical view of such matters is so shunned and denied access. Rather a pity that we only stuck with the properly liberal view for a femtosecond or two as the pendulum swung. That liberal view being that how you have sex and with whom is of great importance when you’re having sex and not when considering near anything else.
One of the few to admire here being Peter Tatchell. One of the God Will Smite Thee preachers was had up for hate speech or summat. Tatchell turned up and gave evidence in his favour. Sure, he’s not being very inclusive and all that. But of course he’s allowed to say it, it’s called freedom, see?
We should have more freedom, more liberality. And yes, that does indeed mean the freedom of people to illiberally speak their mind.
The most common phrase to be heard from the mouth of a modern (self-defined) liberal is: “You can’t say that”.
gofundme must be terrified of an imminent attack by the hordes of people who attacked the non-custom-cake-baking baker
…then how long before those fashions determine who may function in society?
I thought that was ENTIRELY how fashion has ALWAYS worked? If you held the fashionable view – say, in 1200, that Joachim of Flora was a pretty decent fellow, then you’d be supported by Kings, Empresses and the Pope. If you thought the same 50 years later, you’d be burnt at the stake…
An inordinant level of self-censorship is required in today’s world, so as to avoid being censored. It won’t end well.