Personally, I believe in a country where everyone can express their views while all understand the virtue of such.
I believe that, not due to hope, but recollection.
I know such a place can exist, because I remember that for a long time, it did.
These days — to quote Gotye — that America may remain merely “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
We’re seeing a change in attitude toward free speech in education. On college campuses, there’s a clampdown.
Online, there’s a new normal:
For the record, hate speech is NOT free speech. It never has been and it never will be.
— Micole Garatti, MBA (@socialmicole) January 9, 2021
This is the issue. People not being able to distinguish between free speech and hate speech.
— Mr. Spock 🖖 (Commentary) (@SpockResists) January 8, 2021
Hate speech is not free speech. It’s not that hard to grasp. This is something everyone needs to know.
— Karlilo (@WhiteChola) January 9, 2021
Hate speech is not free speech .
— Gonzalo Monroy (@GMonroyEnergy) January 9, 2021
More selections:
“Hate Speech is not covered under the Free Speech amendment.”
“Hate speech is also not protected under free speech.”
“Not only is hate speech not covered under freedom of speech…”
And in case you were wondering:
Common sense!
— Gonzalo Monroy (@GMonroyEnergy) January 9, 2021
It’s a sense that’s increasingly common, and that appears to even go for those in government.
Speaking of, you’ve surely heard — the President’s been permanently banned from Twitter:
350 Twitter employees wrote to Twitter management to ask that Donald Trump's account be suspended.
Bravo.#TrumpBanned pic.twitter.com/PP6DqtICpa
— Tom Scott (@Tom___Scott) January 9, 2021
The suspension of the President Trump's Twitter account is permanent.
From Twitter:
"After close review of recent Tweets from the account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence." https://t.co/f0mQV3RMF4
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 8, 2021
President Trump has put out a set of tweets on the POTUS account after his own account was suspended permanently. In it he says Twitter "coordinated" with Democrats & the "Radical Left" to silence him and the 75 million who voted for him. pic.twitter.com/VeX9K015Sv
— Sean Previl (@SeanPrevil) January 9, 2021
And as noted by The Daily Wire, some top Democrats are dazzled.
Senator Joe Manchin expressed gratitude to the social media giant:
“Thank you @Twitter for taking this action. We must come together as a country to heal and find a common path forward.”
Thank you @twitter for taking this action. We must come together as a country to heal and find a common path forward. https://t.co/c3g2gCTUY9
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) January 8, 2021
Does that add up?
Other big names counted the kibosh a blessing.
California Rep. Barbara Lee hopes it’s just the beginning:
“Great. Now let’s permanently suspend him from the White House.”
Great. Now let's permanently suspend him from the White House. pic.twitter.com/DtsCW2CXGD
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) January 9, 2021
And Hillary Clinton got to check off something from her list:
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 9, 2021
Seeing the suspension as a success, Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly called hate speech by name:
While long overdue, I commend twitter for moving to ban Donald Trump from the platform permanently. Tech companies must take responsibility for hate speech and misinformation flourishing on their watch. This is an important step toward accountability.
— Robin Kelly (@RepRobinKelly) January 9, 2021
Of course, social media companies aren’t beholden to the First Amendment.
And lawmakers can tout Twitter’s turn if they wish.
But, it seems to me, such wouldn’t have occurred in the recent past.
There’s a changing of attitudes, and it’s reached its way to the top, espoused by those who have very real power over our laws.
In the 90’s, there was an episode of The Jerry Springer Show in which a rather terrible guest appeared.
The man said awful things.
In Jerry’s “Final Thought,” he stated that he was disgusted with his guest’s ideas, but that he himself would “fight to the death to defend” his right to say them.
That was Jerry Springer, around 25 years ago.
This is Congress, tonight.
I’d call that quite a change.
And one that — very likely — is going to change life for us all.
-ALEX
See more pieces from me:
CNN Calls Tucker Carlson a ‘Parasite’ Over His Coverage of Chaos at the Capitol
Congressman Will Introduce Legislation Banning Any Federal Property From Being Named After Trump
Find all my RedState work here.
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