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LAWRENCE MASON COLUMN
Last year I was at a friend's house and she said in response to something I said 'You don't like it when people disagree with you though'. I thought about it and replied 'I don't think anybody does'.
Especially when it is a view you have held for a long time, or a plan you have hatched for years and someone shoots it down; it stings. So she was 100 per cent right, I don't like it when people challenge my views, and I doubt I am alone.
In fact, my life would be a whole lot easier if everyone just agreed with me and moved on. This would protect my feelings and help the whole world move in my enlightened and correct direction. With no alternate views I could move forward with my narrative on almost everything, and it is hard for me to understand how this would not be good. After all, I am a nice, intelligent and kind person, am I not? Be easy surely to just run with my ideas? Why muddle over other less wonderful plans?
At this point you are probably thinking of lots of names for me, and I don't blame you. That third paragraph was arrogant, insensitive and ridiculous. Hopefully some of you had a laugh at my expense. But stay with me while I make a point. If nobody challenges our ideas we would all live in a paragraph three vacuum, and be worse for it.
Years ago when a Politician or a Council or Councilor made a social media post, or was reported on in the news, we could reply via the comments on the same social media. Locally this changed when Healy and Lui shut down comments, and the Kerr Council also shut down comments on their Facebook page. One of our new bunch of Councillors always shuts down comments on his Facebook posts. I hate it. It is so petty.
The world is now one of narratives. It's like Primary School. Every issue has some pollie or more likely their advisor writing carefully crafted crap to justify poor decision making, and the comments are closed as if to say what I did in paragraph three. 'I am the exalted one and I know best, thus my words will have no detractors'.
Kudos to Leichhardt's Matt Smith in this regard, despite my attempts to prod him re our microgrid when he writes of renewables, he has not banned me. Ditto Cook's David Kempton who is always up for a debate. Brickbats to Cairns' Michael Healy, who let me back in, and then banned me simply because I challenged him, that if he were Premier one day would he require of his Cabinet what he wanted to require for the LNP Cabinet. He could have replied, but it is easier to ban me. Poor form mate.
Yeah I know some people put stupid stuff up there and some has to be removed when it is libel. But that's what Council and pollies have staff and budgets for. In the name of legalities, pollies and Councils are trying to make themselves look good by banning all comments by their constituents.
Their posts make them look worse than my paragraph three nightmare.
I challenge Healy, Rees, and DSC to do better. How can any of you possibly gauge public sentiment if you block it? It's not like any of you are holding public forums. Comment blocking is another new fad that needs consigning to the dustbin. USE social media don't abuse it.
*Lawrence Mason has lived at Cape Tribulation all his life, and has been involved in farming, timber and tourism. He is a former board member of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, founding Chair of Daintree Marketing Co-operative, and has been a member of both Alexandra Bay and Mossman State High School P&C. He is also a member of the Douglas Chamber of Commerce and has a keen interest in local issues.
- The opinions and views in this column are those of the author and author only and do not reflect the Newsport editor or staff.
