The Right to Speak or the Responsibility?

~dove~

Once more, the right of speech has come into question by the disciples of Ankhet. However, this time, it is not a freedom of speech issue. What has come into question is whether a disciple has simply the right to speak or the more complex responsibility to speak. eminem (The Black Pearl), perhaps, sparked this debate when he stated that "it's not your job to make a topic when you do something that they community may deem wrong[;] it's other people's responsibility." Mikolaj (Shadows) was quick to step in and give eminem a chance to think about his words by killing him and negging him and demonstrating how wrong he could be. Baltar (Shadows) quickly commented that while he did not agree with Mikolaj's actions, he "certainly disapprove[d] at least as strongly to your original suggestion that those who violate established community standards…have no obligation to offer an explanation."

This beginning of this thread (eminem – Underworld) sparked off a controversy in Ankhet. Should disciples have the choice of justifying their actions before or after they are asked about them? Or should disciples have the responsibility to explain themselves every time that they take an action against community standards, such as using abilities or killing off community resources? neminem (Nekhen) argued that "If you do something, and the community doesn't like what you've done, it is not, in fact, your job to preemptively apologize…in general, it's the responsibility of the people who feel offended by an action, to take up with the offender as to why the offensive action occurred." This seems to be the prevailing opinion of those who joined the argument. Regardless of whether a disciple has the right or the responsibility to speak, flaunting community standards will have the same results; the wrath of the community will fall heavily on his or her head.