Open letter to censorship

OPEN LETTER TO CENSORSHIP

Lately I've been reading more and more that writers, actors, singers, and any celebrity shouldn't have an opinion over anything that's not what they do for a living and if they do they're being harassed over social media and told that they should shut their mouths and mind their own business (write/act/sing/etc). This, beyond being rude, seems terribly ridiculous to me. Why's that? Well, as a start, we're all citizens with rights and that some of those citizens are famous for their jobs doesn't end their right to freely express their opinions and act towards their ideals or beliefs. We all have that right, it's called freedom of expression and it's been a while since it was entitled to everyone and not just a few. We don't get to decide who can speak and what they can speak about. If what they're saying, for whatever reason, makes you uncomfortable, just skip it, maybe read something else in that moment and come back to them whenever they say something that may interest you. You don't have to agree a hundred percent with someone to like them, you wouldn't have a family or friends if not, but you also can't shut them. It's disrespectful. Imagine that someone comes and says 'Hey, you're housewife/chef/teacher/seller, just do your job and don't talk about anything else because I say so'. Well, people would start to have very little conversation with their neighbours, coworkers and even friends. Groups would be formed depending on what you work and you would ONLY talk about that. Imagine, if you already don't like to go to work EVERYDAY, how it'd be to have to JUST have to speak about it 24/7 for the rest of your life. It doesn't sound very enticing, huh?

So be it, we're all people with the same rights and bla bla bla, I think you got me, but let's go beyond that. Let's ask ourselves, if those who have a voice that can be heard over the noise don't speak up, if those who can help the ones whose voices aren't being heard don't do it, if those who are in the place to shake things up don't shake them, then who? Then why? Why have a voice if you won't use it? Why have the power to give it to someone else? Why can you help but you don't? Everyone is entitled to choose their battles and if you don't like the battles they choose, just let them anyhow. If you're so sure that what they're saying is wrong then you should also be sure that they will go unheard. But if you, only for a second, tremble upon it and think they must be silenced, then maybe there's something in you that may be fearing they're right about whatever they're deciding to speak about...

Best,
-Ayee