Art critics and historians are supposed to be as objective as possible and should always do their very best to not become overly emotional when discussing a subject... With this article I found it very difficult to remain objective and cool-headed. You see, something happened in South Africa this week – something so potentially dangerous and disturbing that despite my “avoid all news for sanity’s sake” lifestyle, I’ve been following the news religiously since Monday.
On Tuesday 22 November, a new piece of legislation was put before our parliament: The protection of state of information bill – which “aims to regulate the classification, protection and dissemination of state information, weighing state interests up against transparency and freedom of expression” – and by Tuesday afternoon, the bill was passed. The public’s reaction to this has been powerful and personally I can understand why – freedom of speech is in danger.
Freedom of speech and democracy are two ancient and tightly interwoven ideals which originated with the ancient Greeks – the term “democracy” actually originates from the Greek language and roughly means “rule by the (simple) people.” The ancient Greeks believed that in order for a democracy to work, each citizen* had the right to express their views freely and without fear of persecution.
With time, these ancient ideals have evolved into what we** now understand them to be. During the Age of Enlightenment (17th and 18th centuries), philosophers developed the theory of democracy which consisted of such fundamental aspects as basic civil rights, the separation of powers, religious freedom as well as the separation of church and state.
So what exactly is the point of this history lesson? Simply that free speech has been an integral part of democracy and democratic cultures for centuries and when this ideal is threatened, we should all be worried. I’m not completely sure what the consequences of our government’s decision will be, but I hope that caution and sound judgment will be used when implementing these new laws.
Blessings,
Mel
*Citizens who were eligible to vote.
**People residing in democratic countries.
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