Cancel culture is active in the healthcare freedom movement, and it’s a problem.
I experienced a (relatively mild) case of it this week, and failed to respond effectively. Writing this article helped me think through a better way. I hope it helps you, too.
Cancel culture
Canceling occurs in modern America when those “who are deemed to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner are ostracized, boycotted, or shunned.” (Wikipedia)
Psychology Today defines it as “… collective public rejection of a person, group, or organization for a perceived transgression that spreads through social media….”
I would add one thing. This usually happens over opinions, beliefs, or statements which Americans used to consider free speech.
Canceling denies freedom
Canceling behavior and the free way of life come from opposing worldviews. I argue that cancel culture methods have no place in the fight for freedom.
Canceling denies people respect, the right to be heard, even the right to exist in the canceller’s world. It is a power play with no due process or restraint. Like bullying and mob rule, it has a strong element of absolutism (what we say goes) as well as relativism (the rules about who gets cancelled can change overnight).
In contrast, the worldview of freedom from the American founding sees all people as equal under God. With God as the standard, our human limitations in knowledge, wisdom, and skill are apparent. And in contrast to God’s goodness, evil is evident in man’s nature. Too often, it comes out in ambitious dreams to control others.
There are pragmatic arguments for freedom, too. Unrestrained human power threatens our survival. In that sense, tyranny does not work.
The best freedom tools
No one is born with perfect understanding of freedom. But human nature, despite its flaws, is educable. People can see that tyranny doesn’t work.
Some see it faster than others, though, so it’s important to have tools ready to bring people up to speed.
- Facts are important. However, your biggest advantage for growing freedom is understanding that all of us are at different points on the path.
- Persuasion requires open discourse, tolerance, and enduring standards like the Bible and the Constitution.
- Above all, remember that experience is the best teacher. Health events can change someone’s perspective on freedom more completely than any amount of talk.
Have you ever been cancelled by someone who claimed to stand for healthcare freedom? How did you handle it?
Let me know in the comments, and if this article helped you, please share.
