Thought Policing

 

A top official in the Department of Health and Human Services has had to take a leave of absence after he urged Trump supporters to buy ammunition to protect themselves from the left-wing rebellion if President Trump wins re-election. He also accused scientists in the Centers for Disease Control of “sedition.” How many times has that word been used in 200 years? It was not an official statement, just his personal Facebook rant. He has since apologized.

The big problem with our culture today is that there is now a superhighway between the brain and the mouth, or the keyboard, if you prefer. People who make public these kinds of thoughts assume they are speaking for many others too afraid to voice them. Some listeners may actually call it refreshing, But most of us keep unorthodox beliefs to ourselves. We know when to express them and when not to. We may hold back out of fear of exposure, or we may not want to cause hurt to others – or both.

Most of us have learned, if we don’t know instinctively already, what we can say and to whom. Some of our deepest and most sensitive thoughts are reserved for professionals, like therapists or clergy members. Some are safe to share with intimate friends or close family members. Still others are safe for workmates or those at a cocktail party. But strangely, many apparently think social media platforms are safe places to sound off.

Some think that the First Amendment gives us the right to say whatever we want, whenever and wherever. Mainly, the Constitution prevents the government from censoring us, but it doesn’t free us from the social or legal consequences of what we say. And, of course, it’s also about who is speaking. The only good news is that on social media, the crazies in positions of power reveal themselves.

But for the most part, I think the takeaway is that while we are responsible for what we say, our heads (and our hearts, for that matter) are, thankfully, the last private places on Earth where our thoughts are safe – at least until Google or whoever perfects that VR eyewear that can read minds. But I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.