Three months ago, while in a Manchester pub chatting with an American friend, he shared an idea with me. He thought it may be of interest - it was. A free speech event in Manchester city centre with quality speakers, in a large venue, with hundreds of guests. No need to travel to London for this one!
He asked me to be a guest speaker. I said yes. During my second pint, I jumped in with both feet and offered to help organise such as event. A few days ago, it saddened me to cancel this very event – just two weeks before it was due to take place. The venue cancelled our booking.
Why? I can hear you ask. The tentacles of cancel culture are far-reaching and can come from any direction to attack and silence. Our event was cancelled not because of a complaint or a threat, but because of the fear of a future complaint or threat. We were cancelled because of what may happen in a possible future timeline, regardless of no sign that anyone thought the event should not take place. It was a pre-emptive cancelling.
It was cancel culture - minority report style. They gazed into a potential tomorrow and took punitive action today to stop a possible hate crime that may never have come into existence. We stop free speech today so love can flourish tomorrow.
It is difficult to completely blame the venue for they are nice people – they really are. We must remember that they are also victims of this febrile environment for they are afraid of the consequences of doing the right thing, the wrong thing, and doing nothing. They decided it was more important not to offend or attract complaints than have a discussion on free speech. Cowardice always looks like the easy option but you pay a price for it eats at your soul, it destroys you from within. My book, Lessons In Courage, explores this topic for I was sacked from my own charity by friends who took the coward's path – it has a happy ending.
The Quakers' Friends Meeting House, opposite the town hall in Manchester, felt they had no choice. They were wrong, there is always a choice. They had seen online what happens when a person is given a platform to talk in a society where this is no longer valued. Fear is a powerful motivator.
I am sure many people tried to cancel the Quakers during their courageous fight against slavery and for women's right to vote. During both World Wars, many Quakers were conscientious objectors and refused to fight, instead, they helped to support medical services. At one point in history, they were even persecuted in England with the use of discriminatory laws, such as the Quaker Act 1662. They never gave up or backed down.
The above took courage and conviction - to speak up when everyone thinks you are wrong, a coward or even evil. But they stuck by their values and beliefs for they had faith in what they were doing. They had the truth and the light - God was on their side.
Today this type of courage is dying, if not already dead. Our society of instant gratification and over-protection is leading us down a dark path where there is no truth, no light and definitely no God.
We had some great speakers lined up to discuss three vital questions. What is free speech? Why do we need it? How do we protect it? Nearly 200 people had purchased tickets, they also thought it was important. Maybe as important as the fight for the abolition of slavery two hundred years ago? Without freedom of speech, this abhorrent practice could not have been highlighted or overturned.
This event was cancelled because some people in the UK do not have the right to say what they think. This is the rule. It is verboten. It is as simple as that. It was not cancelled because of a specific speech because we offered the venue the opportunity to view them – we have nothing to hide.
It would have been Christian of the Quakers to see 'that of God in everyone' – as their teachings layout.
Finally, to the people who told me that Manchester did not need a free speech event. I would ask you to rethink your position for censorship knows no bounds, it will eventually come for you and for what you hold important.
Free speech is not the right to say what others want to hear, but to say what others do not want to hear. Manchester has lost a little more of that right.
3 Comments
1 more comment...No posts
And all this being allowed to flourish under a so called Conservative government. It seems to me that Keri is the only one who places a big emphasis on the damage being done to our society by Wokeness.
Just noticed the refund in my account, was looking forward to the event the day after getting back from my holiday to complete the week. Hope you can set it up again soon.