The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast
Timing, Speech, Protest, Freedom
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Episode notes
Considering the debate surrounding the timing of protests, should certain occasions, such as periods of mourning, be considered off-limits for demonstrations, or can they still serve as powerful platforms for expressing dissent?
Stuart and William once again explore and chew over another great listener question, which was this time sent in by Molly from Oxford, England. Molly’s question was long and detailed, so would have exceeded the character limit in this description, so instead of including it here verbatim, we’ve copied it onto a Google doc, using the following link: Link to Molly’s full question
The crux of Molly’s question is “Please explore the right to protest, and right to grieve?”
During this episode Stuart and William explore the notion of self-censorship, and the complexities surrounding freedom of speech. Stuart and William feel freedom of speech isn’t always the right to say what you want, when you want.
They discuss whether protests should be separated from certain occasions, and whether the timing of a protest affects its effectiveness, positively and negatively. Further exploring the question of whether a protest at the coronation would be better timed than during a period of mourning, like at Queen Elizabeth the 2nd’s funeral?
Regardless of whether the media whipped people up into phantom sadness, with all the wall to wall mass coverage of her funeral, should the timings of the protests that happened there have been considered better? The protestors at this very public event were trying to get their message across and heard, but if timed badly, that message could have been lost. If any protest happens at the wrong point, it increases the chance of a higher percentage of negative feedback, and less time or opportunity for dialogue. There’s never a good time to protest, but shouldn’t we be highlighting some issues and having some conversations away from these kind of occasions?
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This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.
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