How What Matters Most Gets Minimized by David Mark Speer
In Utopia, conflict might never arise over speech, free or otherwise; let us one day find that blessed land. In our countries - red/blue, rich/poor, global north/global south – the conflict rages. The point is: most of what we call our free speech debate is a sideshow. The real action lies in topics truly left off the table, which become the unspeakable.
While we argue over celebrity gossip and renamed monuments, real crises— mass deportations, illegal arms deals, government raids—go unnoticed by design. The hijack of our health care delivery system by hucksters and quacks should go unnoticed in favor of denouncing one deranged gunman ad infinitum, or so the oligarchy needs us to believe. For every news cycle dominated by the latest outrage—signing executive orders in wrestling rings—just that many more stories of suffering inflicted by the chaos and incompetence that was so utterly foreseeable are left untold and by default, out of public sight, out of civic mind.
DAVID MARK SPEER
Known as The Poetic Protest, David Mark Speer, is a NYC-based writer, cultural critic, and longtime literary insurgent whose work blends political insight with lyrical fire. With a background spanning underground zines, indie anthologies, and academic publications, his writing explores the intersection of art, activism, and existential reckoning. A fierce advocate for untold stories and unfiltered truth, David brings sharp intellect and spiritual grit to the heart of SOAPBOX, where he serves as Senior Featured Writer and Exclusive Columnist.
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