[Prev|Next|Index] Fri, Feb 23, 1996 John R. Allen

right and wrong

     By John R. Allen

     I don't know the difference between right and wrong.

     I know what is right for me and what is wrong for me, and I live
     my ideals as best I can. But I have not lived your life. I have
     not experienced your experiences. I cannot speak for you.

     But there are those who feel they can, who feel that they know
     best what I can say and what is better left unsaid.

     The internet is a million voices, and I can hear them all, one at
     a time. Some may influence me positively, some negatively, but
     everything I read makes me think just a little bit differently.
     It makes me examine the concrete I've built up in my mind over
     the years. Some things I read help add another layer of concrete.
     Some things (the really meaningful things) I read break the
     concrete up and again reveal what's under all those layers: an
     open mind. I may not want that; I may not like that; but I need
     that.

     When the language we are allowed to use is skewed, the very
     thoughts we have are skewed. Don't take my word for it; read
     George Orwell's _1984_.

     Freedom is a beautiful thing; it lets you follow your own path.
     Restrictions on freedom do just the opposite; they force everyone
     to follow a prescribed path. And that path can get awfully worn.

     I've made lots of friends over the Internet and I hope to make
     many more. I hope that we can always have the freedom to be
     honest and frank with one another in our discussions.

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