All those people who want to be heard: do you think you owe them a hearing?

I mean you personally. Do you have an obligation to be their audience?

Victims, political figures, minorities, people with divergent views, anybody who wants to “speak out”—to be heard: whose duty is it to listen to them?

I don’t happen to think anyone owes it to me to listen to me. People who care about each other do that for each other. But am I required to listen to everyone who demands to be heard, out there in the world? If so, why?

And if you don’t owe it to them, who does?