Even as I type that title, I’m aware of the land mines.

Someone will read into my use of the phrase “cancel culture” as a statement of where I stand politically or ideologically or any other various words that end with -ally.

But all I really mean is that our current level of rhetoric drives me nuts. One generation hates being called “snowflakes” so much that it decides to call the offending generation “boomers” because somehow that evens it all out. And what a horrible time to be named Karen, right?

The level of eggshell walking that is required to navigate the cancel culture has all but killed the ability to have any kind of civil discourse, which is foundational for conversations that leads to progress. If you’ve ever taken part in a brainstorming session, you’ve likely heard the facilitator say something about how it isn’t time to discuss the merits of the ideas, but rather a time to state the ideas that come to mind. The whole point of brainstorming is having the freedom to say some silly things out loud in order to open the floodgates for the really great ideas.

But in a call-out and cancel culture where any idea that doesn’t fit the current narrative can lead to the loss of jobs and social status, how can we ever get to the really great ideas? Freedom to think and express must be restored, even if that freedom leaves the door open for opinions and ideas that offend.