Hearthstone tournament winner Blitzchung wore a mask and goggles during the entire competition. He has not said it, but the visual makes it clear that he is in support of Hong Kong’s liberation. These items have been banned in the city due to their use by protestors to fight back against the authorities.

Clearly aware of the statements Blitzchung wants to make, the announcers – “casters”, as they tend to be called – decide to conclude the interview by offering the victor his chance to make his statement. Blitzchung begins to pull his mask from his mouth. The casters giggle to themselves, perhaps out of nervousness, perhaps out of excitement for enabling the young competitor. One ducks his head immediately, reaching his hand over to encourage his companion to follow suit. Mask lowered, Blitzchung calls out his political message.

“Abortion is murder!”

The stream is immediately cut.

Anyone reading this blog knows this isn’t how the story went down. Blitzchung actually cried out the slogan protestors have been using to call for the liberation of Hong Kong. Since then, Blizzard had suspended the competitor, fired the two casters, and had two very different messages for the American and Chinese public. In America, they tried to downplay it and reference their own established rules that demanded politics be left out of their streams. In China, however, they expressed shame towards the casters and Blitzchung and stated their desire to protect the dignity of China.

Since then, Blizzard has been doing their best to walk backwards from this public relations circus. Employees have staged their own walk-outs and protests. Coinciding with similar controversies in the NBA and South Park (whose banned episode was recently screened on the streets of Hong Kong), it would seem the citizens of America are united in their call to Blitzchung’s freedom and the fight against government oppression.

I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if his slogan was different.

It’s easy to get behind an idea as broad as “Freedom of Speech”, and when a government so visibly suppresses their citizens’ ability to express themselves and their own opinions, anyone can get behind the citizenry and condemn the government. Activision-Blizzard easily looks as if they are willing to sacrifice their “values” in order to make additional cash in a massive foreign market. As an American, there is certainly something that stings about it when you realize the citizens of Hong Kong were flying the Stars and Stripes in an effort to get our country’s support. Activision-Blizzard’s actions are effectively stating that it’s more profitable to work with the government than against it. The freedoms of its citizens don’t matter, but their money certainly does.

However, American soil is currently embroiled in nothing but arguments over whose freedom of speech matters more. If Blitzchung were to shout the slogan “Abortion is Murder”, do you think the many liberal radicals of Twitter and Tumblr would take it lying down? How many boycotts would you imagine would be called? If he had shouted a slogan for Trans-Rights, would the radical right have supported the idea of his freedom to say such things?

The trouble with freedom is that it allows people to act against you. Yes, there are other laws in place to ensure how far they act against you is limited. Ideally, the only action against someone you disagree with would be a calm, logical argument spoken in the manner of a term paper without hatred or vitriol or disgust. An attempt to peacefully persuade the other person to your side.

I left Twitter largely because people are not only incapable of this sort of mature and adult behavior, but they actively seek out those they disagree with so they can angrily insult, torment, and call their opponent to commit suicide. Yes, even the “progressive” sorts that will retweet as much mental health sentiments and cautions as possible will inevitably tell someone the world would be better off without them.

These thoughts especially came to mind watching a video from Bellular News on YouTube, where he discussed Blizzard’s attempts to be more inclusive and “progressive” with games like Overwatch. A statement that seems contradictory or hypocritical when you consider how any acknowledgment of certain characters being homosexual is removed in Russia’s localization.

At the same time, I’ve been in discussions with people that have claimed Japanese games should censor and change themselves should they wish to sell in the West. Even if elements of fan-service or other content are “accepted” in Japan, they should be modified for Western “tastes” if they hope to compete globally.

In other words, Americans that object to their products being censored in other cultures, be it Russia or China, may very well call for Japan’s content to be censored or modified for our sake.

To be clear, I do support the liberation of Hong Kong. I believe governments such as the Chinese and North Korean are dangerous, and we ought to prioritize our values over their potential economic strength.

At the same time, I also believe America is currently a country that is confused about what difficulties “freedom” truly entails. A lot of people like to reference a certain XKCD comic in regards to how the freedom ought to work, but it also assumes that the objectionable opinion is always in the minority. It encourages a hostile response to any opinion you do not like.

If this is the approach, then at some point lines need to be drawn. You need to start declaring certain opinions as wrong and enforcing them. At that point, you’re just another slippery slope until you’re censoring people just as much as you are the Chinese government.

To suppress anyone’s speech, no matter how vile or disgusting, is to censor.

I will admit, this post is dangerously political of me. I’ve already written about my perceived conflict between being a Christian and being American, and have even delved into some of my thoughts and feelings regarding this doomed world when I chose to leave Twitter.

I suppose, in the end, I want people to take a moment and consider what their stance would be if Blitzchung called for something they disagreed with. Would they still support his right to free speech? Or would they agree with Blizzard shutting him down and punishing him for their statement? It doesn’t matter what political label you’ve chosen to define yourself as. It just matters that you truly challenge yourself and see if you’d be so adamant for his freedom as you are now.

Are you consistent regarding how strongly you believe in another person’s freedoms? Or do you have a line that you do not wish for anyone to cross?

Regardless, it’s at least nice to know everyone can agree on something for a change. Who knew that enemies would find common ground in The Princess Bride and Hearthstone?