Time was when people could agree to disagree. Time was when friends and family remained friends and family, even if you disagreed on some issues, inside or out of politics and policy. In my own family, my siblings and I have a quiet truce in place to not discuss politics; they are all '60s hippie libs, and I'm a hard-shell right-of-center soapbox shouter, so when we all get together, we talk about our kids, our grandkids, share memories of when we were all young, and we all get along fine. They are my brother and sisters, after all, and that counts for more than anything else.
Or, at least, it should.
A new survey out of the United Kingdom shows that young Brits are increasingly worried about being "canceled" for their political beliefs, and are keeping their mouths shut because of that fear. Yes, really.
A survey by the Economist Educational Foundation found that 22% of 15 to 17-year-olds had stopped themselves sharing political opinions because they were worried about criticism, along with 20% of 10 to 14-year-olds.
Nearly one in four of the 4,000 students aged between 10 and 17 who took part in the survey said they have been asked to stop voicing their political views at school.
The results also showed that 44% of 15 to 17-year-olds said they would not feel ready to vote in the next election.
So, why ask these kids, you might ask? Here's why, and it's a catastrophically stupid idea, but it has been floated here, in the United States, by the left. That's a key distinction, and I'll get back to that in a moment.
It comes after the government introduced plans last year to lower the voting age to 16, enabling up to 9.5 million more people to have their say at the next general election.
The Economist Educational Foundation's chief growth officer, Tiffany Smyly, said the fear of being cancelled could push teenagers to online "fringe" communities where their views could become more extreme.
She warned: "If teenagers are worried about being cancelled, then they are not going to be sharing their viewpoints at school or with friends.
First of all, lowering the voting age to 16 is one of the worst ideas ever. Think back to when you were 16. We don't let people this age drink, we don't let them buy a gun (not like they can do that in the UK in any case) we don't let them sign contracts, we don't let them join the military or get married; but the British government wants to let them vote? That's just an outright daffy notion.
But that's not the real point here. Here's what the SkyNews people aren't telling us, but which is likely true all the same: It's a near-certainty that any of these youths who harbor right-of-center views make up most of the 20-22 percent who have stopped discussing their political views. It's a near-certainty that the same holds true here in the United States, and probably not only among young people. Not when the left is not only running the cancel culture mill, but also getting downright violent when they encounter any disagreement.
Look at incidents of political violence, right here in these United States, just in 2026.
On January 5th, a nut smashed windows with a hammer and damaged a car at the residence of Vice President JD Vance and his family. The suspect's family claimed it was mental health, not political anger - but look at his choice of targets.
Throughout March and April, there were widespread "No Kings" protests, with rocks and bottles filled with noxious substances thrown at cops, ICE facilities damaged, law enforcement vehicles damaged and destroyed.
Add to that incidents, covered right here at RedState, of angry left-wing men attacking female journalists about half their size, causing painful injuries, as well as Erika Kirk, widow of the late (assassinated) Charlie Kirk, having to cancel an appearance after numerous death threats.
Read More: Anti-ICE Dad Now Claiming Family's Not Violent, Video of Shove Begs to Differ
Open assassination seems to be on the menu as well. We don't have to go back very far to remember not one, but two assassination attempts against then-candidate Donald Trump.
And, of course, there was Charlie Kirk.
Where are the corresponding attacks and attempts from right-leaning people on left-wingers? When has a conservative ever set fire to a police car? When has a conservative ever picked up a rifle and tried to kill a Democratic presidential candidate? When have liberal speakers ever been inundated with death threats from the right? Oh, they claim it happens, but seem utterly incapable of providing any examples.
That's why 20-200 percent of these youths are afraid to talk politics. It's far more than just being canceled. They are worried about being killed.
Flora Letanka, chief executive of the Economist Educational Foundation, called for more opportunities for young people to openly discuss the topics that matter to them.
She added: "We need to ensure young people are given the chance to think critically about what's going on in the world, to explore different perspectives, and see the real impact of political decisions on the people around them."
Until the political left abandons its violent intentions, that will never happen. And the left should be thinking long and hard about ramping up these violent attacks; if they decide to escalate, it won't turn out at all like they think it will.
