Snapd
ragon
THE P RTAL
February 2015
Page 5
The recent events in Paris
I
s nothing
sacred? It’s a cliché question which I used to answer with a woeful “No“.
But recent events in France have changed my mind. There is something held as very sacred:
the freedom of expression.
Millions queued to purchase the
‘survivors’ copy’ of Parisian satirical
magazine Charlie Hebdo in defiance
of the brutal killing of members of its
editorial staff last month, and many
more around the world quickly united
under the banner ‘Je suis Charlie’ in
defence of the holy cow of freedom of
speech.
Leaders of nations stood shoulder to shoulder with
thousands of Parisians in the Place de la Concorde in
an act of solidarity and marched for the right to speak
freely and openly. The people of France - and many
more besides - have made it abundantly clear that the
massacre at Charlie Hebdo is an attack on one of their
most sacred values which they are prepared to defend
to the death.
liberty of expression has
consequences
them. Most of the political cartoons that appear in our
newspapers are examples of satire – they amusingly
expose what is corrupt and criticise what is stupid,
and in doing so not only protect corrupt and stupid
individuals and institutions from themselves but
protect us from them as well.
Satire that is really
thinly-veiled racism
But not all satire is good satire. There is a point
beyond which it sinks into gratuitous provocation
and disrespect and aims not to improve but to mock
for mocking’s sake. Satire that is really thinly-veiled
racism, sexism and bigotry deserves to be held up for
what it is, not exalted.
By its very nature satire will always sail close to the
wind (isn’t that really why we like it?), but the best
satire pulls back from the fine line separating it from
insult.
Freedom of expression is a value to be defended and
It treads daringly but carefully and sensitively,
an important ingredient in a healthy democracy, but especially when caricaturing things about which it is
as freely as one may express one’s views, another may ignorant or not wholly familiar. It respects the fact that
criticise and respond to them.
freedom of expression is not the only sacred there is.
The vicious attack on Charlie Hebdo can in no way be
justified by the right to reply, but it is a reminder that
freedom of expression cannot mean freedom from
criticism; liberty of expression has consequences.
stability
I am as appalled as the next person by the savage
attack in Paris, but at the same time wary of venerating
journalism which is deliberately provocative and
outright insulting. Is it really laudable for any magazine
to publish material which it knows will most certainly
cause outrage and offence?
Or might there be a better, less inflammatory way
of making a point, if not out of respect for another’s
sacred beliefs, then for the sake of the stability of a
highly charged and volatile world?
Satire is not a bad thing and has an important role;
it has always humorously, sarcastically and ironically
poked fun at the foolishness and shortcomings of
individuals, institutions and ideas in order to improve
contents page
‘
Let us take things as we
find them:
Let us not attempt to distort
them into what they are
not...
We cannot make facts.
All our wishing cannot
change them.
’
We must use them..
Bl John Henry Newman