Four Letter Word - Idea - Four Billion Plus Possibilites

Margaret Randall believes that “The repressive act always begins with the repression of an idea.” This is a statement that I completely agree with. For me, this means people try and prevent an idea from occuring in the first place, stopping it in its tracks before it spreads at a local grassroots level and then becomes national. A concept like this is something that caught my attention because I never gave it much thought prior to this class discussion. Everything starts with an idea. An idea is something that sparks; it’s similar to a popcorn effect. One person can start off and then that can bounce onto someone else and so on. Pop,pop,pop! This topic paves the way for me to discuss more about free speech as seen below.

In the course of reading John Stuart Mill’s ideas I absolutely love the idea of the necessity of free speech, considering the fact that it allows society to flourish and allows individuals to reach their full potential. By simply having an idea, one has taken the first step to create change. It’s just that easy, and something that all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender, can engage in. Mill elaborates on the fact that we must debate with other people, taking in other points of views and understanding why others hold the opinions they do and I couldn’t agree more. If this is not possible, then Mill suggests playing the devil’s advocate with our own ideas. The fact of the matter is that in order to know the truth about something, one has to know the entire truth. If a person only knows his or her truth, then he or she can only see his or her story. We have to see and learn about what is important beyond our own perceptions. Ultimately, leading to a broader understanding and greater outcome.

VIA: thearcoftexas

On another note, watching part of the movie Shouting Fire allowed me to notice similarities between Almontaser and Randall. Just as the government felt that Randall did not deserve to live in the United States, the school board felt that Almontaser did not deserve to hold her position as principle. It’s crazy how certain people, people with authority of course, determine whether or not specific individuals “deserve” certain things. Yikes! I hope that I’m never put into a situation where someone makes a decision that heavily affects me and impacts me to the point where I have to leave a school or my country. Hmm…where do you stand?