Please read the entire RA 11525 for the context.

 

Censorship

When the Pharisees crucified Jesus Christ they thought it was their duty to enforce the laws of God proclaimed by Moses.

The authorities of Switzerland burned "Social Contract" a book of Jacques Rousseau. Voltaire came to the latter’s defense and said, “I do not agree with a word that you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Miguel Cervantes wondered how so much evil could be committed during his time of Renaissance. He wrote “Don Quijote.”

When Hitler killed six million Jews he justified his act as a final solution to a problem.

When Marcos declared martial law, he claimed to save the republic and ended up violating human rights. His defenders today cite the infrastructure projects he implemented but fail to mention the kickbacks he and his cronies pocketed and how he amassed billons of dollars deposited in Swiss banks.

Today ISIS, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are ruthlessly killing people in the name of Allah.

Today, Facebook is censoring posts and comments in the guise of community standards. If you post or comment against the experimental vaccines FB is quick to ban you. Only you can see it. Worse, you can be banned for 24 hours or 30 days.

So much evil has been committed in the guise of good. Facebook should be careful it does not fall into the same category as evildoers. We understand FB took this route after it was sued or threatened with suits for one reason or another. However, it should not veer towards the extreme of censorship at the expense of freedom of expression. It is a tricky balancing act, yes, but it comes as the price of power and privilege. The billions of FB users make the platform powerful. They are the reason advertisers flock and give it also billions in revenue. It should be watchful ever not to commit evil against those whose role is to cast light on otherwise dark truths that cause inconvenience to powers that be. Facebook was praised as a great equalizer of the playing field. Now, if it takes actions that tilt the field in favor of the mighty then it will turn its back on its own power base.

If FB allows you to post what you ate a while ago or the latest shot of your face why can it not tolerate an expression that comes from your heart and mind? No pun intended but the face is often less important than the book.

You cannot criticize the host when you are a guest in his house. This is not a criticism. This is a friendly advice. I am doing so as civilly as I should. The host should not take it against a guest who cautions him about a potential or actual wrong. After all, the Facebook house is not just made of walls and columns. It is built on the strong foundation of support by its guests.

September 16, 2021

 Facebook banned the following commentary:

I read posts stating that such and such persons got themselves vaccinated to protect themselves, their family, relatives, friends and the community.

I agree that they just might protect themselves. But to claim protection of others is taking the expectation too far. You do not wear a raincoat and claim to protect others from getting wet once they walk in the rain!

The vaccinated can still carry the virus just as the non-vaccinated. The way to protect others is to observe the health protocols. If the vaccinated is careless he can bring the virus inside his house. He can get sick of Covid. He can die of Covid. I can give names via PM.

Don't think I am against vaccines. I am for vaccines against measles, common flu, diphtheria, polio, and others because they are fully tested and proven safe. On the other hand, Covid vaccines are under Emergency Use Authorization a.k.a. experimental. Only Pfizer is reported to have obtained US FDA approval. As such, they cannot be made mandatory. Humans cannot be forced to join an experiment. Get their consent first and give them the complete information. If they choose to proceed, fine! But to deny them certain rights just because they opt otherwise is to do evil in the guise of good.

(PS: Some invoke the analogy between Big Mac and Covid vaccines. Hello! People have eaten tons of Big Macs and they are unharmed. They are being asked to take Covid vaccines for the very first time and even the US FDA has cautioned about severe side effects. If you eat a Big Mac and suffer stomach ache, you can sue the company. If you die of Covid vaccine side effects you cannot sue the manufacturer. Evidence: the waiver. So don't equate Big Mac to Covid vaccines!)

September 16, 2021