…attempting the destruction of freedom.

I am announcing my hypocrisy today. Free speech, something a lot of us take to heart and enjoy the fact we have the freedom. Yes, I am (was) a hypocrite when it comes to free speech…

People in the community have created some outstanding projects, and if I don’t always agree, or you always agree, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great project. We have to remember one thing, and that this project could very well be someones pride and joy. I am going to use an example for this post, Tux500.

Everyone by now probably knows of the project, it was the goal of the Tux500 members to put Tux on a car in the 91st Indianapolis 500. You know what, they succeeded. They not only succeeded, but they looked those of us in the eyes that doubted the endeavor, threw the animosity we created to the side, and put Tux on a car and more importantly, put Tux on TV for everyone to see. So where does free speech fit into this?

First, there was a great majority who tried to silence Ken (helios) of the project, and actually Digg did a great job in doing so. It was the actions of Digg that got me thinking of the entire thing. Today I was talking to a friend who is not in our community, an outsider so-to-speak, about helios and the Tux500 project. I told him that helios was getting flamed everywhere for trying to promote the Tux500 project, and I even told him I got in on it somewhat. I told him I didn’t like the way that helios was doing things and that he seemed angry behind his convictions. Then my buddy slapped me with a taste of reality.

When a person gets behind something they love and cherish so much, and then someone comes in and tries to either persuade the person their idea, goal, or project is a joke, they tend to get defensive. If someone was to come up and tell you that something you put your blood, sweat, and tears into was garbage or such, how would you react?

It was at that point that I got it. I was slapped back into reality. Ken, Bob, and the rest of the Tux500 team setup a project, and within that project they set an amazing goal. A good majority of us, and yes I say us as some of the the community was involved as well, and the paper trail shows it, not only attempted to bash the project, the team members, but some of us even went to the point of having helios banned or silenced from spreading his dream. He has every right to communicate that dream, even if some of the tactics were questionable at best, he has that freedom. And some of us tried to destroy his freedom. For this, and since I as apart of it, I apologize for being involved in an anti-freedom type way. I never asked for helios to be removed or ban (hoping memory serves me correctly), but I suggested that his freedom to speak should be hushed as I felt animosity towards it.

It took me over a month to realize the reason that helios was portrayed the way he was, is because he was not only defending his freedom to speak, but he was also defending his passion in the pursuit of a goal that was set. Ken, for this I am truly sorry, as I was apart of the evil persons who unintentionally sat out to destroy your freedom, or looked at your passion as a joke.

I will admit that I am nobody special, and I hope I don’t try and act like I am. I am just a member of a community, a free community, of which I love and cherish. Me, being who I am, has stood up, faced my hypocritical ways, and offer my apologies. These apologies go to anyone and any project I may have publically voiced “my opinion” of in a not-so-supporting way. We all have our faults, and seeing as my faults get displayed to the public quite easily, I felt the need to apologize and realize the nobody is perfect and if I disagree again, I won’t do it in a way that attempts to prohibit a freedom. I have been human enough, or as some say, man enough, to realize my fault here and to publically apologize. I know it may not heal the wounds, but it makes me feel a little better while enjoying my stay here with all of you. To Kevin Rose, and the rest of the Diggnation, I hope you realize that silencing the Tux500 project, or helios, was not the right thing to do. Of course your terms state you “RESERVE THE RIGHT” but nowhere does it say you “RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ABUSE” the rights of others.