818 Comments

Words are what we have to avoid violence. When words are equated with violence, we get violence to replace words.

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Bari,

Superb. I wouldn't change a word.

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What a thoughtful response, Brandon. In fact, these comment sections are one facet of social media. Your story is powerful and I relate to it.

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Neither my wife nor I ever smoked which makes this all the more puzzling. I think it is autoimmune disease. Thanks for your thoughts and understanding.

As they say, "Getting old's a bitch. It ain't for sissies."

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Here is Karl Popper on Bari's point about the difference between words and violence:

“The war of ideas is a Greek invention and one of the most important inventions ever made. Indeed, the possibility of fighting with words and ideas instead of fighting with swords is the very basis of our civilization.” --Karl Popper

Will someone start a Twitter thread with #StopCensoringNow

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Incredible read

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Brilliant article again Ms Weiss. There is a cloud of censorship that hangs over us all that is subverting conversation. As an effect, our culture grows ever more disconected.

If more people could speak as clearly to the subject as you, maybe we can reverse the trend. Maybe.

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I'm not "woke," but are woke people storming the capitol, assaulting cops and shitting on the floor?

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There are two commentaries along similar lines in today's (aug 16) National Post - one by Rex Murphy and the other by Adam Zivo. Not an easy paper to obtain in USA. but may be available on line

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I was pleased to see the Times picked this up.

Because various authors were very unsatisfied with the Society of Author's chair's response , there is now an open letter on Julie Bindel's substack. https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/an-open-letter-to-the-society-of?s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct

JK Rowling has weighed in on this matter as well: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11115283/JK-Rowling-accuses-Chocolat-novelist-Joanne-Harris-betrayal-hits-back.html

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Wow !!! 🙀

Scary but enormously important stuff ! 💀

Thanks Bari and great luck on the new baby ! ( boy or girl ? Or are you gonna let it decide which of the 48 genders at the time of birth ? Kidding…..🙏

PS - I’m reading sorta backwards and you may want to do the same given all the “accolades “

that you are receiving on 8-15 -22 !

At least they’re not stoning you yet 😹

May God Bless Us All !🙏🙏🙏

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VERY POWERFUL and timely

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Bravo, Barrie.

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“Movie was unclear”

… to all but those who are honest with themselves.

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There was a very interesting piece in the Atlantic. Did you know that Jimmy Carter was sympathetic to the "fatwa?"

It's well worth a read:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/08/salman-rushdie-fatwa-attack/671139/

Among the things he said:

" “While Rushdie’s First Amendment freedoms are important,” he wrote, “we have tended to promote him and his book with little acknowledgment that it is a direct insult to those millions of Moslems whose sacred beliefs have been violated."

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This was the post that finally pushed me to become a paying subscriber. Free speech is my religion. I suppose I've finally run out of excuses for withholding my tithe.

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