The constitutional foundations of America are trembling, and the assault on free speech is happening with breathtaking speed. What begins with a comedian being pulled off the air for mild jokes about a politician could end with the complete dismantling of our First Amendment protections.
When Jimmy Kimmel made some relatively benign jokes about Donald Trump, the response was swift and chilling. The FCC chair suggested Disney should "buckle down" on Kimmel, advertisers got nervous, and local stations threatened to drop the show. Within days, Kimmel was temporarily off the air. This wasn't about offensive content - it was about power and intimidation.
The hypocrisy is stunning. For years, many on the right have decried "cancel culture" as a leftist tactic to silence opposition. Now we're seeing politicians and media figures explicitly calling for citizens to report their neighbors for social media posts, contact employers about workers' political opinions, and threaten to withhold funding from schools because of teachers' comments. What's remarkable is that even conservative voices like Ted Cruz and Ben Shapiro recognize the danger, warning that weaponizing government agencies against free speech sets a dangerous precedent regardless of which party employs such tactics.
Meanwhile, corporations continue to demonstrate that their values extend only as far as their profit margins. Disney, Target, Facebook - all shift positions based on which way the political winds blow. As one host noted, "They don't care about you. They just want to sell you crap to keep you coming back."
If these assaults on free expression concern you, join us for the October 18th protest as part of the national No Kings 2.0 movement. The Bill of Rights isn't a menu where those in power get to pick and choose which freedoms to respect. Stand with us before it's too late.
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