Free Speech- Is This an Impossible Commodity?

In 1948 the Supreme Court reversed the conviction of a New York bookseller who sold magazines that contained fictional stories of murder and bloodshed. Those with an online law degree may be familiar with that case.

In a ringing passage supporting freedom of speech, the Court wrote in ‘Winters v. New York’ that it did not accept the argument that “the constitutional protection for a free press applies only to the exposition of ideas.” 

In an oft-cited passage, the majority declared:

“The line between the informing and the entertaining is too elusive for the protection of that basic right. Everyone is familiar with instances of propaganda through fiction. What is one man’s amusement, teaches another’s doctrine. Though we can see nothing of any possible value to society in these magazines, they are as much entitled to the protection of free speech as the best of literature.”

And yet the basic right for expression has been gagged in recent times.

During the recent Literature Festival that was held in Jaipur in January2012, the freedom of speech was exploited in a big way.

I did not attend this festival but saw it unfold on the net and on the blog posts of my friends who witness this first hand.

Salman Rushie attending/not attending/attending/not attending the festival and then the live interview cancelled at the last minute for the fear of the violence that would follow.

The interview did take place on National TV, millions of people around the world listened to it, and the Mullahs were powerless. Even if they were not listening, they heard it.

But must we be afraid and shut up?

Freedom of Speech  by Elijah

I pontificate as I defecate, on the latrine...freedom of speech,

can I speak and I don't care if you're not listening,

you're still hearing me!

Good people get up on your feet

and wake your brother up that went to sleep.

Because these cowards are on the creep.

They say they have a group of people that serve and protect

but yet, all I see is killing and disrespect.

They say they uphold a code justice,

BUT I ask, 'who's justice is it'?

As they alternate justice

while they make laws that oversee laws,

 laws that oversee man's laws that even oversee God's laws...

As a simple man,

I will never fully understand the rules and regulations or

the degrees of these rules and regulations in this foreign land.

and I will never feel safe or free in a nation

That says' we are equal as a people',

but yet they segregated us with race...

 For ya'll that know better,

ya'll gonna do better.

Whether you're in the caves of Afghanistan

or in this "promised land",

I beg you,'

learn your history or should I say 'his' story'?

 I want you to understand me when I say,

 "I am here with you, and you are here with me".

So let's kick it

 'til we ain't got no teeth and

together we can make this world a nice place to sleep.

I know you've heard it before,

but we, can rock the dance floor-

Let me say it again,:

 to all my brothers hustlin' the streets,

it's time that we should meet,

and wake your brother up that went to sleep.

Because these cowards are trying to kill me.

 I can't do this all by myself,

and neither can you,

but together there's nothing "we" can't do.

I want what you want because l'm just like you.

I want peace I want peace.

Feel free to create your own way of protesting on 14th feb.

THE IDEA: To celebrate free speech and to protest book bans, censorship in the arts and curbs on free expression

WHY FEBRUARY 14TH? For two reasons. In 1989, the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering the death of Salman Rushdie for writing the Satanic Verses. In GB Shaw’’s words: “Assassination is the extreme form of censorship.”

February 14th or Valentine’s Day has also become a flashpoint in India, a day when protests against “Western culture” by the Shiv Sena have become an annual feature. In Chandigarh, 51 Sena activists were arrested by the police after V-day protests turned violent in 2011. 

Our hope is to take back the day, and observe it as a day dedicated to the free flow of ideas, speech and expression.

Places where you might do public readings: subway and Metro stations, public parks, coffee shops, open areas in malls. If you’re talking about Flashreads on Twitter, please use the #flashreads hashtag.

#flashreads is a simple way of registering your protest against the rising intolerance that has spread across India in the last few decades. At any time on February 14th—we suggest 3 pm, but pick a time of your convenience—go out with a friend or a group of friends and do a quick reading. 

Tweet, Tweet and a Fairy Tale Weaves.

Image source for this picture

The story was ‘The fiery sun’ and before the team started; they decided that copyright would not belong to anybody.

I saw them weave their story on Twitter and was amazed at how the story was unfolding. Four tweeple (I was not sure if they knew each other- but I assumed they were friends) were tweeting a story. The story was for Pratham books that had enthralled the blogger world with their write-a-thon to celebrate the International girl child with ‘The upside down story’.

On the twitter, they had invited tweeple to create one story and Asmita had taken up this challenge.

She put up her tweet-request to make a team and like a relay, each one wrote 5-6 tweets and then passed on the writing baton to the next participant. Asmita kept track of the story with a handle #swpb (story writing for PrathamBooks) which she would collate and post it on her blog.

I was following the story and was very impressed with the talent out there, Ratna wrote:

I reached the tree, bent down to pick 1 stone. To my surprise, it wasn’t a stone at , but a tiny, ice-cold blob of sparkly jelly! I put it in my mouth – silly me? – and it melted instantly into a mouthful of delicious, cool coconut water. I quickly gobbled 20 mouthfuls till my thirst was gone. Then i lay down under tree – a cool, dark place that smelled faintly of vanilla & dreamed.

Although the story was expected to be completed in one day with 100 tweets, it tweeted on for three days. The participating tweeple came in their own free time and tweeted the story, passing on their writing baton to the next person after their turn. I had decided that I would give my feedback at the end of the story but the story was so amazing that I could not wait no more. I wanted to cheer all the writers whom I knew.

My twitter chat with Asmita

Me: Loved the way your story is shaping out

Asmita: Would you like to add to the story?

Me: Ah! I wish I had joined in earlier, now your story is in its last leg, no? It’s truly lovely and you are doing good

Asmita: Even if we are at end you can join up, continue the story or end it. It is a collaboration effort- no hard and fast rule to it.

Me: Thank you so much, I am so very tempted to join in but it doesn’t seem fair to me to butt in last minute – maybe next time.

I slept off after the chat but in the morning I had change of mind and decided to give it a try.

Me: On the second thought- maybe I should, it sounds fun, pass me the baton please. And I was in…..just for few tweets. I wrote:

I looked closely at the gold handle, turning it upside down, round and round, examining each part running my finger over it. It was smooth. Too smooth, what a strange handle? The picture of that delicious map has shown that it was attached to the tree but I couldn’t see any hook, how will it fit on the tree, and how do I find that tree? Maybe Jin might know. The animal-shaped plants had said that he helped everybody, maybe he is somewhere around.

“Jin, Jin, where are you there? Can you hear me? Please help me.”

I looked around waiting for Jin to appear. There was no sign of Jin. Silence everywhere except those faint distant sounds of ‘“tabala tabala hiri hiri boom” I kept the handle aside and then saw those pair of rose-colored spectacles. They looked so pretty and I tried them on, suddenly …

No, I couldn’t end the story…there was much too much excitement to it…I tweeted only as far as my images clicked into my mind (was still warming up) with just about 8-9 tweets only and passed on the writing baton to the next one….and before I realized the story had swirled around into such a beautiful story somersaulting my imagination.

I have memorized every scene. Now I wait to catch hold of a child, straddle him on my lap to relate this story..and experience the bliss of story telling

To read the full story, please click here