If you do not agree with what someone is doing but go along with this, mainly because you feel (or trust) that they are 'on the side of the angels' – it may eventually turn out that you have in fact been supporting 'the devil's work', all along.

I don't really buy the idea of 'evil' but there may well be folk who consider themselves or their actions to be intentionally evil. However, I feel that the vast majority of things we now see as ending up as evil, usually start off as someone, (no matter how misguided they may turn out to be) honestly believing that they are doing the right thing. They are usually able, by their certainty alone, to convince others that this is the case and are in turn, further convinced by this blind support, that they are doing the right thing.

It is not difficult to see many examples of this, throughout history. But sadly this does not seem to prevent us from allowing history to repeat itself.

There is a rather effective UK TV advert, designed to get people to use their vote. It has a chap who does not vote, because he is not interested in politics. He is told by his friend, that politics affect him anyway, and the only way to have a say or to change anything is to vote. This is demonstrated as every time the first chap moans about an issue that is affecting him. His friend points out that he said he was not interested in politics.

So no, I am not making a political issue of freedom of speech – it IS always political issue and everywhere, including this forum. If we are to feel that on this forum we can criticise Governments and other institutions when they attempt to limit our freedoms, is it foolish not to address the same methods and hollow justifications given to limit our freedoms on this forum?

All I ask is that you read the justifications given here and while you do this, try to forget for a moment that the individuals concerned are nice folk and this is only a website etc. I am sure that all of the volunteers are well-intentioned. Just read the justifications given for the actions taken and decide if they are really proportionate to the stated purpose, especially the secrecy aspect. I simply feel that a stand must be made, before the next well-intentioned attack on our freedom of speech is made and justified. And the next one – for there is only one way this ever goes.

It is always only necessary for good folk to do nothing………