CONTROVERSIAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND WHY THEY SHOULD SPEAK MORE ON PUBLIC PLATFORMS
Controversy is fast becoming an ambiguous social buzzword in many public platforms across the globe but what is controversy in a public speaking platform? controversy could be talking about conservative immigration ideas to people with a liberal inclination towards immigration or it could be talking to people about legalising same sex marriage, people who do not share such ideals. Perhaps it is time to ask if controversial public speakers should be given more space in public platforms.
In regions of the world firmly under the grip of authoritarian regimes controversial public speakers have had to deal with the worst of possible outcomes. Some have had to sleep in cold police cells, some deported to places they came from while some have unfortunately been killed for speaking what is generally considered sacred and a no go topics for public speakers.But is inviting controversial public speakers to big public platforms really that bad?
History suggests a different opinion in fact it is littered with scores of brave and courageous men and women public speakers who stood and spoke about issues that were better discussed in living rooms and safe confines of neighbourhoods.In America at a time when race relations between blacks and whites was frosty, it took outstanding oratory skills of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King to bring to the fore the state of racism in America. Their efforts culminated into the progressive nation that is America today. A pointer that may be by opening up the public sphere to controversial public figures some of the big issues affecting this century could just be solved.
Revolutions across the world are predominately the result of open expressive speech by controversial public speakers, their belief that something uncomfortable as initiating radical political changes in an intolerant political system, have today helped increase governments transparency and accountability to its citizens. Controversial public speakers are often forgotten after after a revolution but much of the change is often attributed to that speech that was made in a small town hall, marketplaces, workplaces and even down to a local school in the neighbourhood.
Apart from just standing up for the masses when someone was needed to speak out, controversial public speakers especially ones that speak on issues of public interest have helped open eyes to the dangers facing free speech in the modern world. While much of government efforts across the world is aimed at targeting controversial public speakers and limiting their right to speech in open public platforms, something is fast changing more controversial public speakers are beginning to come out and speak freely on almost every issue that they deem necessary for public interest and this is growing the free speech movement perhaps something revolutionary could be making its forays into the public sphere.
In regions of the world firmly under the grip of authoritarian regimes controversial public speakers have had to deal with the worst of possible outcomes. Some have had to sleep in cold police cells, some deported to places they came from while some have unfortunately been killed for speaking what is generally considered sacred and a no go topics for public speakers.But is inviting controversial public speakers to big public platforms really that bad?
History suggests a different opinion in fact it is littered with scores of brave and courageous men and women public speakers who stood and spoke about issues that were better discussed in living rooms and safe confines of neighbourhoods.In America at a time when race relations between blacks and whites was frosty, it took outstanding oratory skills of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King to bring to the fore the state of racism in America. Their efforts culminated into the progressive nation that is America today. A pointer that may be by opening up the public sphere to controversial public figures some of the big issues affecting this century could just be solved.
Revolutions across the world are predominately the result of open expressive speech by controversial public speakers, their belief that something uncomfortable as initiating radical political changes in an intolerant political system, have today helped increase governments transparency and accountability to its citizens. Controversial public speakers are often forgotten after after a revolution but much of the change is often attributed to that speech that was made in a small town hall, marketplaces, workplaces and even down to a local school in the neighbourhood.
Apart from just standing up for the masses when someone was needed to speak out, controversial public speakers especially ones that speak on issues of public interest have helped open eyes to the dangers facing free speech in the modern world. While much of government efforts across the world is aimed at targeting controversial public speakers and limiting their right to speech in open public platforms, something is fast changing more controversial public speakers are beginning to come out and speak freely on almost every issue that they deem necessary for public interest and this is growing the free speech movement perhaps something revolutionary could be making its forays into the public sphere.
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