We Don’t Have to Like It—But We Shouldn’t Silence It

Why Facts-Based Opinions Deserve to Stand, (Even in Our Own Circles)

Some people think democracy means “freedom” until that freedom includes someone else saying something they don’t like.

And then—suddenly—it becomes a call for censorship.

We see it happen online every day. An article gets posted that challenges a popular belief. A writer publishes a piece based on facts, data, lived experience, or science—but because it makes someone uncomfortable, the conversation immediately shifts. Not toward the content or its accuracy. Not toward civil debate or deeper understanding. But toward erasure.

“Take it down.”

“This shouldn’t be allowed.”

“I disagree, so it must be misinformation.”

Let’s be clear: there’s a real difference between disinformation and dissent. There’s a difference between incitement to harm and uncomfortable truths. Between reckless conspiracy theories and carefully argued opinion pieces grounded in evidence. Between actual hate speech and critiques that confront injustice head-on.

But lately, people are conflating “I don’t like this” with “this shouldn’t exist.”

That’s not how freedom works.

And it’s not how democracy works either.

Censorship Isn’t Just a Government Issue Anymore

The First Amendment in the U.S. protects you from government censorship, but it doesn’t protect you from your neighbor reporting your post because it bruised their feelings. It doesn’t protect you from being de-platformed by a tech company’s opaque moderation system. And it sure doesn’t stop a mob of commenters from burying you in vitriol, not because you were wrong—but because you were right, and it made them uncomfortable.

What’s dangerous isn’t just that people disagree—it’s that people are increasingly unwilling to tolerate any viewpoint outside their own, even when those views are backed by truth.

We’re watching this unfold in real time across school boards, local journalism, social media platforms, and even within activist circles.

Some self-proclaimed defenders of democracy have adopted the tactics of authoritarians: shut it down, silence dissent, delete the opposition. Not because it’s dangerous. But because it makes them feel something they’d rather not feel—shame, guilt, contradiction, cognitive dissonance.

Discomfort Is Not Oppression

Let’s say that louder:

Discomfort is not oppression.

Reading a piece that challenges your worldview isn’t a personal attack. It’s not a hate crime. It’s not violence. It’s a part of living in a free society—one that values dialogue over dogma.

When we start treating every opposing idea as an existential threat, we lose the ability to think critically. We lose nuance. We lose our grip on what actual danger looks like.

And the irony? While we’re busy silencing each other over uncomfortable truths, the real enemies of democracy—corrupt officials, billionaires buying power, organized disinformation campaigns—keep winning.

If It’s Rooted in Truth, Let It Stand

You don’t have to like every article you read.

You don’t have to agree with every opinion someone publishes.

But if that opinion is rooted in fact—backed by data, research, lived experience, or historical context—it deserves to be part of the public conversation.

Don’t like it? Write a rebuttal. Share counter-data. Engage in honest debate. But calling for it to be erased because it makes you uncomfortable? That’s not activism. That’s cowardice.

Big Mouth Media was founded on the belief that loud, informed voices matter. Not just the convenient ones. Not just the ones who agree with us. But especially the ones who challenge us.

Because democracy doesn’t grow in silence.

It thrives in debate.

It matures in discomfort.

And it demands the courage to listen to things we may not want to hear.

The Bottom Line

If you care about democracy, you have to care about truth—even when it’s inconvenient. You have to care about freedom—even when it challenges your perspective. And you have to care about dialogue—especially when it’s hard.

Otherwise, you’re not defending democracy.

You’re just building a softer, quieter version of tyranny.

Sources & Related Reading:

• ACLU: What Is Censorship?

• PEN America: Free Speech and the Chilling Effect

• Knight Foundation: The role of facts in civic discourse