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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 9 candidates file for 3 council seats ... Joyce Segers to run for Bates' seat ... Temperature record threatened ... 9 candidates file for 3 council seats ... Joyce Segers to run for Bates' seat ... Temperature record threatened ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: OSF playing games with words Comment By David Raco DailyTidings.com By David Raco Posted Aug. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM By David Raco Posted Aug. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Ashlanders have a reputation for thinking of themselves as open-minded, tolerant individuals who want Ashland to be a liberal community where discussion can flourish and nobody gets their feelings hurt. That sounds idyllic, but it is impossible to have a society that equally respects both freedom of expression and feelings. It is commendable to want both, but when the battle lines are drawn, as they inevitably will be as long as people are free to think for themselves and then express those thoughts, which side will you fight for? This question is particularly germane to the present cultural situation in our country, and the controversy surrounding the Shakespeare Books & Antiques store and its display of a racially offensive banned book delivers the question neatly to our own doorstep, where we should carefully unpack it together and discuss what we think of its contents. Most readers of this paper are probably familiar with the well-worn arguments for and against the freedom of offensive expression, which is why I am aiming this article instead at a less-conspicuous problem I have noticed slithering around on its belly beneath the crossfire: the problem of doublethink. George Orwell introduced the word doublethink to our language in his seminal novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" to serve as a warning against what he perceived to be the intellectual road to perdition. Doublethink is, simply stated, "the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them." For a fine example of doublethink pertaining to censorship, consider the following opinion, which appeared in the Aug. 5 letter to the editor entitled "Dismayed by story:" "And we informed her [Judi Honoré of Shakespeare Books & Antiques] privately that OSF would decline to do business with her in the future. This decision about business-related purchases is not a boycott. It is not censorship. It is asking a citizen of our community to consider the feelings of her fellow citizens." I would challenge the authors of that letter, Bill Rauch and Cynthia Rider of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, to present a historical example of the kind of censorship they disapprove of in which the censors did not also feel (or at least declare publicly) that they were merely "asking a citizen of our community to consider the feelings of her fellow citizens." I do not doubt that the authors' feelings are genuine, but that is the hallmark of doublethink, and they need to realize that. The definition of the verb censor is "to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable," OSF is attempting to suppress something that they consider to be objectionable, therefore they are engaging in censorship. If they want to argue that it is justifiable censorship, I sincerely invite them to do that, but they need to cut the crap first. Also, OSF has every right to refuse to do business with Shakespeare Books & Antiques, but make no mistake, that is a boycott, despite what Bill Rauch and Cynthia Rider would like you to think, for the word itself means "to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with a person, store, or organization, usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions," which is exactly what OSF is doing. Judi Honoré displayed a book in her storefront window that offended some people associated with OSF, OSF demanded that Judi remove the book from the display, Judi refused to remove the book from the display, and now OSF is exerting economic pressure on Judi by refusing to do business with her in an attempt to coerce her into self-censorship and to express their disapproval. That is a boycott. Wake up, you censorship apologists. Stop running away from the shadow of your own ideology. Shrug off your doublethink and we can talk about what you really want (and whether you really want it). And because I want you to be able to meaningfully participate in that discussion, I'll leave you with this piece of advice: don't play games with your words if you want people to respect what you have to say. David Raco lives in Ashland. By David Raco DailyTidings.com By David Raco Posted Aug. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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