The force carried by a typhoon can be destructive, and can’t be controlled, slowed down or prevented.
Free speech is like a typhoon. No one can stop it, not even the Constitution or an ordinance.
Free speech in the form of profane expressions can be destructive, in that they tend to have faster and stronger speed than complimentary expressions.
For instance, try greeting a lady with a profane expression, and the immediate response would be a slap on your face, to be followed by a criminal complaint when not settled.
Greet a lady with a compliment and the response would be a cold “thank you.”
A city ordinance, and the Constitution, are human interventions.
A city ordinance that intends to control the destructive force of profane expressions has nothing to do with “backwardness,” (“Don’t kill free speech,” Letters, 11/15/18).
The city council of Baguio City that ordained an antiprofane language ordinance is not a bunch of “killers” of free speech in Baguio City.
The council should instead be congratulated for understanding the consequences of the destructive force of profane expressions, especially on women and children.
CLARO Q. ESOEN,
Eastern College Inc.,
Guisad Road, Baguio City