LIKE most politicians, Hunter MP Michael Johnsen has a Facebook page. He uses the platform regularly, often more than once a day, usually to promote Coalition policies or to highlight issues in his electorate.
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Most posts reach a few dozen followers, and result in a handful of comments.
On Tuesday afternoon, however, the Nationals MP published a text-only post, asking: "I wonder . . . How many NSW BLM protesters also protested in favour of full term abortion? The irony . . ."
Yesterday morning, as hundreds of critical comments began piling up under the post, Mr Johnsen expanded the text to outline his motivation.
The explanation, and an apology, did nothing to stop a torrent of abuse through the 560-plus comments left on his Facebook page throughout the day.
Many were filter-blocked for language.
Some tried to reason with him.
Others found the post "appalling", "disgraceful", "pathetic" and "offensive", and his apology as insincere.
His reference to "full-term abortion" also mystified and angered a number of people.
Asked about this, Mr Johnsen said it referred to the Abortion Law Reform Act, introduced in October after an acrimonious debate on contentious legislation.
Supporters lauded the Act for moving reproductive healthcare out of the criminal codes.
But for Mr Johnsen and other opponents, a major stumbling block was the legalisation of abortion regardless of the stage of pregnancy, even if two doctors needed to be satisfied of "sufficient grounds" to terminate after 22 weeks.
None of this, however, was mentioned in the Facebook text.
Even so, it's the instant vitriol and anger that can explode when someone - usually prominent - says something online that differs from the "woke" opinions of the digital gatekeepers.
At the same time, a corresponding demolition squad polices policy purity on the far Right of politics.
More accurately, it seems progressives and conservatives alike have weaponised social media to support their respective positions in the culture wars convulsing the Western World.
No matter who is criticising who, all sides need to remember that free speech is the beating heart of democracy.
While the Enlightenment writer Voltaire might not have uttered the exact words, the quotation said to summarise his thinking - "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - is as apposite now as it was in the French thinker's time more than 200 years ago.
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