Voltaire is something we quote, but don't believe in.

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." Voltaire

18th Century French philosopher Voltaire was a radical of the Enlightenment. He was an advocate for freedom of speech, expression and religion. A true libertine, you might say but he was a little racist himself. He contemplated white supremacy and while he rejected the theory of Adam and Eve, claimed that white people and black people were more cousins than brothers. Regardless of his personal stance on race, his overarching message was a liberal one. We should fight for freedom if speech and expression, even if we don't agree with it. As I don't agree with him about this particular view.

Since the shooting in Charleston, America has put its gun laws and values under the spotlight. What provokes a young man to venture into a historic church and kill 9 people who were studying the bible. He's not a terrorist. A system of oppression normally spawns terrorism. This guy was not oppressed. His freedoms were not under threat. He was simply a fascist with a gun. The irony is America seems to want oppress the freedoms of people like him because of his criminal actions.

Walmart, Google and Amazon have stopped selling the Confederate flag. A symbol of slavery in America. It's what southerners waved when they were fighting the Yanks during the American Civil War. The Yanks to the north were fighting to abolish slavery and free black people. The southerners, whose livelihoods and profit margins relied on free labour, obviously opposed this.

This flag is still widely available and used. In the aftermath of the shootings, it is still at full-mast on government building's in the deep south. It's lovely that these huge corporations and public figures are fighting to remove symbols of racism in America, however isn't this oppressing freedom of speech and expression. As Voltaire said, I might not agree with you, but you have the right to say it. I'm not a racist. However, we live in a society that prides itself on these freedoms, so I will uphold any racist's right to express themselves, even though I will truculently disagree.

The BNP are allowed to exist and to promote their opinions. The EDL are allowed to protest. The KKK are allowed to wear pyjamas. What they're not allowed to do is break the law. Murder is illegal in every country. Even the countries with terrible human rights records and actively deal out the death penalty like it's going out of fashion have outlawed murder. There is never any reason to kill anyone.

Similar to the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Illustrations showing the Prophet Muhammed shouldn't carry a death sentence, but similarly Charlie Hebdo's disregard for one of Islam's strictest and original rules. It's the reason the religion ignited its own art form and adorned the ceilings of their mosques with the most beautiful geometric patterns. This should have been reprimanded through the proper channels, not resulted in a massacre.

The Confederate flag also holds similar connotations. It's offensive. It supports the exploitation of black people and symbolises white tyranny. It's so widely seen across the States and the UK, that it's lost its meaning. I'm sure there will be people at Glastonbury this weekend waving said flag, not realising its history. Culture has diluted it and therefore is it as offensive as illustrations showing the Prophet Muhammed? It's a tricky subject, if you drill down nearly everything is offensive. Where we draw the line is if it's a rudimentary rule, like using the N word or any other racially derogatory language or serving beef burgers to Hindus or sending bacon sandwiches to a Synagogue.

Charlie Hebdo is allowed to discuss the merits and dangers of Islam in the same way Tim Hunt can talk about women in the science lab. It's an opinion and they're allowed to express it without breaking these basic rules.

Ultimately, if Walmart, Google and Amazon want to get behind the cause, they shouldn't be making it difficult for people of whatever political stance to express themselves, they need to stop stocking firearms and bullets. Flags don't kill people, weapons do.

First published 25/06/2015