Speech Should be Allowed Its Stage

   Freedom of speech is being challenged. I hear story of how YouTube is refusing to allow certain COVID-19 information from Singapore to be told. We all hear stories about sites being censored and shutdown by social network providers.

   There's a rule -- an old rule -- about when speech is to be curtailed. If you run into a movie theater, crying, "Fire!, Fire!" and everybody pours out of the theater, that's too much. I guess the YouTube, and Facebook, and Twitter owners might think that is all they are doing, protecting people from false information that causes damage.

   But, they are in error. Let these stories run. Let these videos be seen. Yes, tag them if you feel they need to be tagged. Yes, attach disclaimers suggesting the information might be in question. When you can, don't just simply say they might be incorrect, and leave it at that, but rather find experts who will respond with rebuttles. Don't let your website take a personal stand on the truthfulness of the post, if you can avoid it, just say there is concern that it might be inaccurate, and you are seeking out sources that might provide rebuttle.

   Freedom of speech remains important. Censorship remains a vice. Just because it isn't government doing the censoring, doesn't mean it is right.