The Etiquette of Rights

Every Wednesday morning, three middle-aged to elderly men gather on a street corner in Auckland and exercise their right to freedom of speech. The street corner is Manukau Road and Greenlane East, just along from Greenlane Clinical Centre, and the three men stand there from about 8am to 11am, holding signs which read 'Abortion Kills Children' or depict full-term babies in utero, with bible verses underneath.

When I see these men, I grit my teeth and remind myself that one of the wonderful things about our country is that we are permitted to do this - to stand on corners or march up streets, and tell everyone what we believe. I maintain this, and acknowledge it as a crucial part of democracy, even when I vehemently disagree with what is being freely expressed. More and more, however, when the Paul Henrys and Michael Laws' of the country vomit out their views, and people leap to their defense crying "PC gone mad!", I wonder when the right to speak ones mind, on any issue however trivial, became more important than being kind? Just what it is that makes an old man's right to hold up a sign more important than the agony of a woman in a difficult situation driving to a doctor's appointment on a Wednesday morning? The fact that he could be bothered putting aside his empathy and getting out his paintbrush?

Freedom of speech; the right to express our views, is, like all rights, one that comes with responsibilities. I'm no Emily Post but I do believe common courtesy is always appropriate, even in politics, and that just because we can does not mean we always must or should. Free speech is vital but politeness is not a crime, as it seems to be when labelled "political correctness". And when we use a medium that is not easily responded to; a billboard for instance, or a television show to which few people have access, isn't it just a bit gutless to spit out what we want to say and claim free speech?

One morning, I had enough. I crossed the road and exercised my right to freedom of speech. It ended with me also exercising my right to freedom of offensive gesture, and doing something I'm glad my Mother (also no Emily Post) didn't see; telling an old man to [something people do when they love each other very much] off.

I maintain that, as the respondent, I was not primarily to blame; but I was by no means blameless. And I wonder, for both myself and the old man - was it worth it? I believe what I had to say was important; clearly so did he. We always do. But is free speech a reason to forget our manners? Is it always more important than being considerate? Have your say.