“It’s a jungle out there. Disorder and confusion everywhere. No one seems to care.” Well, WE do! That’s why we started this column… Advice Paradise!
ADVICE:
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We’re not psychologists, counselors, therapists, or experts – we’re just fellow homeschoolers who are willing to offer a little friendly advice. Sometimes it helps to have a second opinion, and we’re here for you. The Advice Paradise team will answer questions on homeschooling, relationships, religion, and life in general. No question is too trivial. Just ask about anything you want to know! We promise to keep it simple and get straight to the point. In some cases, a bit of wit or sarcasm also does the trick.
Check out the following questions and see if any of them apply to you, or maybe you’ve been in the same situation and have some helpful advice to give someone else. Post a comment if you think you have a better answer!
- In what type of situations should free speech not be allowed?
As a general rule, limitations on free speech have precluded speech that is harmful to others, threatening, or generally repulsive and reviled. For example, obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. The word “offensive” used to mean something contrary to a prevailing sense of what is decent, proper, or moral. Now it includes any type of speech that someone complains about. College campuses used to be the bastions of free speech, a place where opposing ideas could be openly explored without care or concern. But in today’s topsy-turvy world, certain speakers are banned from college campuses simply because their opinions are deemed “offensive” by some, while talk that was once considered obscene is welcomed!
- What is the biggest threat to the First Amendment today?
The biggest threat to the First Amendment today is “cancel culture.” Cancel culture is a form of censorship that restricts your freedom of speech when someone doesn’t like what you have to say, so they silence your message through deplatforming or shadow banning. On May 1, 2022, Biden’s Department of Homeland Security announced the creation of a Disinformation Governance Board aka “Ministry of Truth.” They reserve the right to shut down any internet site, without a trial or due process, if they in their own opinion decide that “misinformation” is on the site. Sounds like something straight out of a George Orwell novel!
- Why do communist nations deny people freedom of speech?
The idea of individual freedom is incompatible with a communist ideology. That’s why free speech is now and always has been unknown in communist countries, no matter how much it is or was “guaranteed” in their constitutions. For communism to work, the government must make sure it is powerful in all aspects and is able to maintain that power. Communists take advantage of crises that arise by asking people to surrender more and more autonomy for the benefit of the collective good, until they have taken over completely. In a communist society, the individual is less important than the state, and those in power will not allow anyone to speak against them.
Do you have a question? Send it to mail@homeschoolingteen.com and we will share it with the Advice Paradise team to be posted in the next issue of Homeschooling Teen.
Think you have a better answer or would you like to offer some more advice? Please leave a comment below with the question number for reference. Thanks for helping!