We are all Charlie

In the face of last week’s horrific attack on the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo, there is nothing to do but join the loud international chorus of writers, artists and ordinary people declaring, “We are Charlie.”

Just what does that rallying cry mean?

On the most basic level, it means we should mourn the 12 cartoonists, police officers and others mercilessly gunned down on Jan. 7. It has been inspiring to see millions of people march in solidarity with Charlie Hebdo, even if some of the events were slightly marred by the participation of politicians who have cracked down on free speech in their own countries.

In mourning for the victims, we implicitly acknowledge the fundamental role of free speech in open societies and for people who want to make their societies more open. The notion has been advocated and expounded on since before Voltaire’s day, but it is well to remember that democracy rests upon the freedom of people to expose, argue and disseminate any information and ideas they want. Much of the work by Charlie Hebdo’s contributors is simplistic, vulgar and insulting, but their rights should be no weaker than those of the loftiest author. 

We must redouble our own commitment to free speech. That does not just mean posting, printing and broadcasting content that most people will find palatable. Justifiably or not, there will always be people who take offense at something in a newspaper. But writers and editors must be willing to risk affronting an individual or group’s sensibilities in order to serve the higher good of spreading the truth. 

We should examine the forces of censorship latent in our own society and in ourselves. While the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo massacre were part of an all-too-real international threat, they can also be taken to represent the voices of dogmatism and repression everywhere.

How often do we shoot down our own ideas because an inner censor tells us, “Don’t say that!” How much debate is stifled at our dinner tables because religion and politics are just plain off-limits for some of the guests? When will we always have the courage to speak what we feel, not what we ought to say?

Society’s growth in sensitivity to more and more groups’ perspectives and feelings is surely one of the great goods of our time. But when it results in fear, second-guessing and self-censorship, it is imperative to tabulate our priorities anew. If we want to thrive as a democracy, freedom of speech will find its place at the top once again. The staff of Charlie Hebdo provide a strong example of the courage we will need in the struggle.