LIVE WITHOUT HARMING! EXPRESS YOURSELF IF YOU WISH AND LET OTHERS DO THE SAME

Did you know that only 23% of the world’s population lives in a relatively open environment where there is considerable freedom of expression? In the rest of the countries, harm or even great suffering is inflicted on innocent people simply for exercising their right to free expression. For example, in Iran, the religious police beat women simply for not dressing or wearing the veil as they believe is correct. To make matters worse, if they demonstrate against this oppression, they are shot in the face and genitals, imprisoned, tortured and raped.

In many places, people who spoke their minds were burned at the stake, and in fact, in many countries, they are still imprisoned, tortured and murdered. Even among the most civilized countries (or least uncivilized, depending on how you look at it), showing who you are can lead to beatings or job exclusion, as is the case with cross-dressers. Another example is that of fundamentalist Islamists who, in European neighborhoods, attack Jews wearing the kippah or harass women who do not dress modestly.

Read LIVE WITHOUT HARMING! Not even the LGBTQ+ community

Combat fundamentalist Islamist tyranny

Without going so far, other less intense forms of harm include stigmatizing, rejecting, pointing, mocking, gossiping, despising, judging or unfairly condemning people who express themselves outside a standard but without harming anyone.

This occurs especially in environments that are traditionalist, authoritarian, gregarious, ultra-religious, authoritarian far-right, liberticidal far-left, and sheep-like. It is typical of societies or groups governed by strict dogmas, invented doctrines, conventionalisms they call “good customs,” and taboos, some of which are absurd.

Oppose poisonous dogmatism

Think for yourself and avoid toxic indoctrination

In Japan, there is a saying that the nail that sticks out must be hammered down. In other countries, there are other idioms, such as “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Oppression of free self-expression can be social, political (saying anything that deviates from the government-mandated orthodoxy is punished), religious or several of these at the same time.

However, since we are free, we have the right to be ourselves, to be authentic, to express our uniqueness and creativity, and to show ourselves as we are, always without harming anyone, except in legitimate self-defense.

RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S FREEDOM

And we also have the freedom to give our opinions, even if some people do not like them, provided it is done without defaming or harmfully lying, and without hate speech or harming innocent people. In fact, Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Freedom of expression is not only a human right but a necessity that is healthy to satisfy and makes us feel good. Furthermore, it enriches society in multiple ways:

• It promotes individual freedom, which leads to an increase in happiness.

• It encourages the dissemination of information, ideas and debate, which leads to continuous improvement and modernization in the different aspects of a society.

• According to different statistics, such as those from the World Economic Forum, in countries where there is more freedom of expression, there is more innovation and economic prosperity.

Let’s learn from the Netherlands, one of the places with the most advanced mindset in the world, where everything can be discussed and where everything is talked about, without taboos or mincing words, without being subject to any tyranny of political, social or religious correctness. Let’s also take an example from countries like Denmark, New Zealand, Switzerland, Finland or Sweden, which are usually at the top of the freedom of expression rankings, such as the GSDI, as well as freedom of the press and individual freedom.

Freedom of expression includes speaking naturally about politics and religion and even criticizing ideologies and religious doctrines.

Let’s talk about politics and religion

A uniform environment (for example, in the way of dressing) is stifling, while a diverse one is nourishing, even in allowing anyone who wishes to go naked on any beach or, why not, in the street.

Appreciate diversity

Let’s rather reserve social pressure as an effective tool to prevent anyone from harming innocents and be tolerant of other behaviors and expressions.

Be tolerant

Be yourself and let others be themselves!

What can an evolved, open-minded, and excellence-oriented person do to improve freedom of expression (always within the limit of not harming innocents)?

1. Sign this campaign for freedom and high-quality democracies… SIGN NOW!…

2. Sign this campaign to ask all governments to repeal blasphemy and apostasy laws… SIGN NOW!…

3. Sign to ask Christian organizations to respect freedom of expression… SIGN NOW!…

4. Sign to ask Muslim religious leaders to respect freedom of expression… SIGN NOW!…

5. Sign so that all governments promote non-harmful versions of religions… SIGN NOW!…

6. Sign against harmful speech and hatred toward innocent people… SIGN NOW!…

7. Share the previous signature campaigns and this article with as many people as possible.

Thank you for doing so to contribute to a more respectful and pleasant society to live in,