This is not a political post.  But it does concern a political movement.  A couple days ago John Mackey, CEO of Wholefoods (an organic grocery chain) wrote an editorial for the WSJ entitled "The Whole foods Alternative to ObamaCare".  In it he very respectfully laid out why he disagrees with the Obama administration and how his own business experience points to an alternative solution.  Which led many progressive groups (who may or may not be Wholefoods customers) to start a boycott.

A blog post on The Moderate Voice supporting the protestors makes this statement...

I am all for freedom of speech. Mr. Mackey had every right to express his views on health care in the WSJ, even as anathema as those views might be to progressives. Similarly, we progressives have every right to decide whether or not we want to spend our food dollars in a store whose CEO clearly doesn’t support the most important progressive cause of the moment.

So basically "I support freedom of speech unless you ever dare express an opinion that is different from mine at which point I'll do everything I can to destroy you"

Very enlightened...

I've said this before and will continue to say it as many times as people will listen.  You can't have freedom of speech in a world where someone can lose their livelihood for expressing themselves.  These protestors clearly want to get the CEO of Wholefoods fired for expressing an opinion and that is an anathema to the idea of being free to speak your mind. 

One caveat here.   The speech must be respectful.  I have no problem with people going after Glen Beck for calling President Obama a racist because that's an attack on Mr. Beck's part which makes Obama supporters more than justified in making a counter attack. 

But Mr. Mackey's editorial was completely respectful and he didn't attack anyone he simply disagreed with an idea.

How is this technology related?  Because you can't create a world based around the free exchange of ideas without allowing people the freedom to express their ideas.  You can't go on and on about blogs, social media, Twitter, and all the other technology that empowers people to express themselves and then turn around and hate them for that very expression. 

It's time for these protestors (and those like them) to discover the concept of maturity and start accepting those who don't agree with them.  Moreover it's time for them to realize the best way to deal with those who disagree with you is to GIVE THE COUNTER ARGUMENT.  Rather than try to destroy a person for disagreeing with you how about you try changing his mind?   How about you spend your time refuting his ideas rather than assailing his character? 

Put your effort into promoting the ideas you do support rather than attacking those you don't.   

Addendum: I missed a point.  That point being “Why should the protestors keep giving their money to a company run by someone who doesn’t support their ideals”

I love Bradley Whitford (most widely known for his role as Josh Lyman on the West Wing).  He’s probably my favorite working actor today.  But I don’t agree with a lot of his politics.  Yet that has never stopped me from making a point of supporting his work (I think I own everything he’s ever done on DVD)

Being a mature adult means accepting people will disagree with you and that those who do so respectfully aren’t your enemy.  In fact, maturity means accepting you could be wrong and inviting those who disagree with you to speak their mind so that you know you’re getting both sides of the story.

Finally, someone who has provided a good service to you (like a great actor or the CEO of a successful organic grocery chain) should be given even more leeway to express their ideas because they’ve given you something of great value in the past.