The “Right” To An Opinion vs. The Actual Opinion
Respecting the “right” of someone to have an opinion does not mean that the opinion itself is no longer subject to critique or is no longer possibly an opinion based in bigotry, which should definitely be critiqued.
Certainly any individual, corporation, organization or institution can portray any opinion that they choose. I’ve never said that any person who promotes any form of prejudice is not “entitled” to an opinion.
Disliking the critique does not mean that a person can assert that the individual, corporation, organization or institution’s “right” to their opinion was infringed on.
Those who share views with an individual, corporation, organization or institution can claim the “right” to such views, but that “right” does not erase whether or not the view is marginalizing or bigoted. Further, people are of zero obligation to do business with a company just because people who agree with said marginalizing or bigoted opinions of said company thinks that everyone should.
A lot of the injustice in the world is based on stereotypes, marginalization and bigotry that is in fact portrayed as ”opinions.” Even facts are twisted and lies are presented as facts. Even actual facts have been used to the advantage of oppressors to keep people oppressed.
When someone in the position of power chooses to publicly share bigoted opinions, do not expect that some of those who are subjugated by this power, marginalized by this power, stereotyped by this power, imprisoned by this power and even killed by this power are going to applaud the opinions, avoid critiquing the opinions, or even applaud the “right” to have such opinions. Many people have DIED because of someone’s cruel opinion, while that same person has a tantrum about critiques of said opinion, let alone critiques of and even suppression of the organized resistance against such opinions.
If opinions are backed by ideologies that support the White supremacist capitalist patriarchal society that we live in, it can stand to be reasoned that those opinions are in direct conflict with the very existences of many marginalized peoples. And, being marginalized means that in most cases, they are not able to truly “infringe” on the “right” of those powered individuals, corporations, organizations or institutions to share those opinions anyway.
It is those FIGHTING bigotry whose views on their very lives, let alone ideologies that are always silenced. It is those FIGHTING bigotry who have to be ever so vigilaint regarding some of the hatred that is packaged as free speech, marketed as opinions, but manifests as clear and present danger against their rights, equality and life.
