People must be free to think, free to decide, free to access information and free to disagree. This is what civil society is. It is respect for human rights: the human rights that our forebears fought for.
Those who think people should be forced to forgo the right to think and choose are anti-freedom, anti-choice and anti-human rights.
The difference between civil society and totalitarianism is the difference between respect for human rights and disregard for human rights.
What is required, on a range of issues we face as a society, is open discussion and debate and to hear from all sides of the issues and science, not one side only presented as ‘the' truth.
The other side of an argument or issue contains vital information required for the best decisions to be arrived at.
Carolyn Stock, Tauranga.
3 comments
totalitarianism
Posted on 14-01-2022 06:54 | By crazyhorse
The problem we have in New Zealand as in other countries is we have been hijacked by the ultra-left, they do not make up a large proportion of the population but they make up the noisiest, the question you should be asking is "who" will decide what is right and wrong? what is hate speech and what is not, and most importantly who will decide what your children are taught or now indoctrinated in, especially "revised to suit" New Zealand history and the idea there can be such a thing as democratic communism, truly frightening times!
Rights and responsibilities
Posted on 23-01-2022 08:38 | By R Goodall
Just look at the last councillors. Freedom meant they couldn't agree on anything and nothing got done. You want freedom? Go be a hermit somewhere. The social contract dominates personal rights. Disagree all you like but accept your responsibilities.
Rights and responsibilities
Posted on 24-01-2022 09:17 | By crazyhorse
R Goodall, rate-payers voted in the last council election, they have rights, they pay rates and live in Tauranga, democracy granted them a vote but some of the councillors they voted for, Andrew Hollis is an example, were locked out of any discussion because they were standing up for the people who voted for them and that went against the grain of a lefty Mayor and his minions who proved, in the end, the views of rate-payers were of no interest to them, they wanted governance based on racial divide, your idea of rights and responsibilities is at odds with mine!
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.