Fear of backlash can censor debate

I refer to the letter “Freedom of speech does not necessarily make society more inclusive” (April 23). It is disingenuous to claim that sanctioning someone because of an alternative viewpoint is not the same thing as silencing them.

When individuals collectively demand the removal of support from something they consider deeply offensive and harmful, it communicates that the public will face backlash if they fail to accept a particular line of thought.

By extension, this helps set the parameters of what is acceptable for people in general to think or say. Hence, shaming an individual or a corporation because of their beliefs can chill public discussion. Ironically, this produces the same result as what censorship laws would do: It limits the expression of views deemed offensive or eccentric.

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said: “I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.” We should judge individuals on the merits of their arguments. No one deserves to be censored for their views or for simply failing to be politically correct.