By Rodrigo Díaz Guerrero, Bernardo Moreno, and Josemaría Moreno
Freedom of expression in Mexico was commemorated June 7th. What is freedom of expression? “It is the right to publicly disagree, which fosters dialogue and strengthens difference. It is important to know different points of view that question dominant narratives. In this way, creative solutions to common problems can be found. There is a right to state one’s position. Freedom of expression does not grant the right to prevail over other points of view or to fall into attitudes and speeches that promote hatred, violence, and discrimination.” This is according to León Mendoza, who is an activist and Mexican anthropologist.
Voltaire, Candide, or Optimism, 1759
The back cover of the first volume of the Gredos collection, which reflects the thought of the enlightened man, bears an elegant quote from Borges: «A world that has given us Voltaire has some right to be considered the best.» The phrase refers to Candide, in which the Frenchman makes an absolute mockery of the optimism in Leibniz’s philosophy. It simplifies it considerably. In the words of one of the characters, Pangloss, it is even assumed that “particular evils do general good, so that the more particular evils there are, the better everything goes.”
Voltaire is an exceptional figure in history and literature. His philosophical contributions laid platforms for the development of the Enlightenment and paved the way for the French Revolution that bequeathed to us a declaration of the rights of man [sic]. Although we do not live in the best of worlds, as Leibniz would say, Voltaire’s ideas are a beacon of light and potential for human development. We would do well to remember the famous words used by Beatrice Hall, biographer of the Frenchman. She explained his liberal thought: «I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.»
The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aaron Sorkin, 2020
The United States was in crisis. Martin Luther King, the civil rights leader, had been assassinated on April 4. Robert Kennedy, opponent of the Vietnam War, defender of the Afro-American movement and recent winner of the primary election for the Democratic Party in California, was assassinated moments after finishing his victory speech on June 5. A series of demonstrations and riots broke out in the streets of cities across the country. Social unrest reached its peak in the month of August, when in Chicago a large peaceful demonstration was mounted by different movements. This occurred the same day that the Democratic Party convention was being held. This resulted in a great disturbance and with seven leaders arrested and charged. This film tells the facts of the demonstration, the context of each of these peculiar defendants, and the sinister line of the judiciary, a trial that was marked in history by violations of freedom of expression. In addition, it features a great cast of actors and sublime direction attached to real events. It received several Oscar nominations in 2021, including Best Picture.
Distorting Us, Mad Fish, 1985 (reissue)
This album was the debut of the Argentinian band made up of the legend Luis Alberto Spinetta (vocals and guitar), Black Amaya (drums), and Osvaldo «Bocón» Frascino (bass). Although it was released in 1972, we want to emphasize its reissue, since it has the song «Me gusta ese tajo» as a bonus track. This song in particular —a blues-rock with a catchy melody and magnificent guitar and piano solos— had to live with the Argentine military dictatorship. This resulted in serious problems with censorship in the country, being left out of the track list of the band’s first studio LP. The song was composed during the second quarter of 1972, and the album was released in September of the same year. Subsequently, the topic in question was included during the last military dictatorship (1976-1983) in the list of topics censored by the Federal Broadcasting Committee (COMFER). It didn’t help that the song’s lyrics had strong sexual connotations. In Argentine slang, the word “tajo” refers to the vagina— basically talking about free sexual relations, without any kind of loving wink. The freedom of expression that the southern country experienced was one of the bloodiest. Music was prohibited in order to avoid, in the words of the dictator Videla, «any brainwashing, confusion to our youth, and detachment from our traditional values.»
