“An Apology for Printers”: Excerpts taken (and edited) from Dr. Benjamin Franklin’s Writings (Public Domain)....
Should printers (or even bloggers) be accountable for their written opinions?
(#1) 1. That the opinions of men are almost as various as their faces; an observation general enough to become a common proverb, so many men so many minds.
(#2) 2. That the business of printing (and blogging) has chiefly to do with men’s opinions;
most things that are printed (or blogged) tending to promote some, or oppose others.
(#4) 3. That it is unreasonable in any one man or set of men to expect to be pleased with every
thing that is printed (or blogged), as to think that nobody ought to be pleased but themselves.
(#5) 4. Printers (and bloggers) are educated in the belief,
that when men differ in opinion, both sides ought equally to have the advantage of being heard by the
public; and that when truth and error have fair play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter.
(#8) 5. That if all printers (and bloggers) were
determined not to print (or blog) any thing till they were sure it would offend no body,
there would be very little printed (or blogged).
(My Take) 6. Just as long as there is no harm done to children around the world (or their minds), perhaps
whatever is blogged (or printed) can be justified but with some exceptions.
The End.
[Text Copyrighted Michael Llenos 2016]