Whoopi Goldberg and the Right to be Wrong

“Shut up and watch your every word.” This seems to be a major theme of our current generation, and one that will end poorly for all of us.

Whoopi Goldberg recently said something stupid. It’s not the first time. I seriously doubt it will be the last time. But I think it’s Whoopi Goldberg’s God-given right to say as many idiotic things as she damn well pleases, and I hope no one ever in any way takes that right away from her.

Cancel culture is really problematic. It leaves people with a disturbing “walking on eggshells” feeling that produces a lesser product.

Let me explain.

The Freedom to Teach

When I was teaching, my supervisors often made me feel very watched. Like I had to weigh carefully every single word that came out of my mouth, and if I wasn’t careful even one time, my job could be on the line. Imagine how that looks. I’m in front of a classroom tens of hours every week, not to mention emails and phone calls with parents and all the other blah blah that teachers have to do. What are the odds that I’ll never have a word leave my lips that might upset or offend someone? It’s damn near impossible!

Some of my most memorable moments as a teacher were when I was leaving one of my jobs. At that point, there’s nothing the institution can take away from you, so with the chains broken and on the ground, you become free to speak as you please. That freedom can be felt in every bone in your body, and very clearly translates into the experience students are having. Everyone wins!

The Power of Risks

Will mistakes happen? Your damn right they will. And that’s a great and beautiful thing!

The world has been improved upon time and again by people who’ve taken tremendous risks. And we should all be encouraged, each and every day of our lives, to take as many risks as possible.

You know what happens when we don’t?

Absolutely nothing.

And that’s the point.

Societies grow and develop on the shoulders of those daring enough to take risks. And they are held back when people are stifled. It’s why so much more innovation will always come from a country like the US than the likes of a North Korea. If you want nothing to be accomplished, by all means, scrutinize every word and action of your citizens.

Whoopi Goldberg and the Right to be Wrong

Whoopi Goldberg’s statements were a wild combination of free-flowing thoughts, speculation of an ignorant non-intellectual, and a clear demonstration of lack of historical data. And you know what people like that get to do?

They get to write books. They get to perform on stages across the world. They get to vote and carry guns and sleep with their neighbors’ wives and even reach out to a few thousand housewives on The View. Why? Because that’s what freedom looks like. It’s not freedom to be intelligent and informed. And thank God it’s not! Because the moment it is, then someone is out there defining “intelligent” and “informed”, and it’s a slippery slope until our freedoms are stripped away from us, one piece at a time.

If freedom doesn’t include the ability to say stupid things, it’s not even close to freedom.

A Divided World

We live in an increasingly divided world. For every issue, there are two opposing sides, and it seems that people who hold those sides cannot be friendly with the others. And civilized discourse is unfathomable.

And there’s no grey area in between, no attempt to hear the others out, and no sympathy for beliefs other than your own.

And it’s so very peculiar to me.

Someone could be bothered by one person coming under attack for their views, and simultaneously push to have another person de-platformed. But they’re missing the irony in what they’re doing.

When you call for the cancellation of anyone, you are already undermining the concept of free speech. And you are putting a small crack in the foundation of our society, one that can easily widen and destroy everything we’ve worked so hard to build.

I don’t want Whoopi Goldberg canceled. Or Bill Maher. Or Joe Rogan. Or the thousands of others coming under attack every day. Who knows? Perhaps if I had more of a name or influence, I’d be under attack as well.

Stand Your Ground

I would hope that under those circumstances I would stand my ground. I would unapologetically defend my right to free speech, and go down swinging, rather than offer a half-assed apology that will appease nobody.

We’ve all seen this time and again. When a bloodthirsty mob is trying to take from you everything you have, your apologies are meaningless. Those who support you, don’t need the apology. In fact, they don’t want it. They want you to stand strong in your perspective. They want you to dig your heels into the ground and strongly stand up for what’s right. And those who are trying to break you have no forgiveness in their heart. You wronged them once, and you are eternally dead to them.

So where do we stand?

What to do with Whoopi?

There are only a few ways things can go from this point onward. Whoopi Goldberg can be permanently removed from her role. This would be a tragic blow to free speech, and would just serve as a warning to everyone that they are one “mistake” away from getting tossed to the curb.

She can return, but with the oppressive knowledge on her shoulders that she’s being watched and her time is limited, should she slip again.

Or society can grow the hell up and realize that when we are robbed of our innate right to say what comes to mind, life is better for everyone.

Trust Me: You’re Next

If you’re trying to constantly shut people up who have upset you with their words, just note that we are all flawed beings. At some point words will slip from our lips that upset someone. Or are just blatantly wrong. And the angry and empowered mob will come to shut you down as well. And no one will be there to come to your aid, because you robbed the masses of their power, will, and dignity.

Or we can all, once again, reclaim our freedom of speech. And we can learn to listen to one another, with a healthy skepticism and a proud willingness to accept that others feel differently than we do. And that’s OK. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.