At MarinGOP we don't like to get personal. But in reality there is no political or corporate overreach more personal than censorship. Censorship targets groups and destroys individuals. Censorship is fundamentally un-American. And censorship is happening now.
I don't like to use terms like "un-American" --some words have been cheapened and weaponized. I definitely would never use "un-American" in a partisan way. (What other people do is their choice...) Frankly, regardless of political preference I think we should ALL believe in America and believe in American values. Free speech and the free flow of ideas is the heart of the American experience. Censorship is fundamentally un-American. Unfortunately censorship is what we are facing in 2021. The First Amendment is under attack and millions of Americans are going along with it. At this moment there are people with hair that is prettier than mine and "credentials" that are more impressive publishing meaningless platitudes about how we got to this point.
This is no time for platitudes. Censorship is un-American. Everyone, regardless of political party, should be willing to stand up and say those words loudly and repeatedly.
Personally I have been writing about censorship in one way or another since July of 2020. "Cancel Culture" is a form of censorship and a cancer on America. The mere idea of a "thought police" is terrifying, and the idea that Americans are censoring themselves in pursuit of jobs or in fear of a marauding mob is nothing short of tragic. No American should ever be afraid to speak and think freely. Shadowbanning, deplatforming and social media witch hunts are destroying free speech, dissent and genuine free thought.
America needs free thought. The American dream is about big dreams and free thought. The American dream is about individuals realizing their potential. Individualism, free thought and big dreams are all under threat by cancel culture. If you believe in individualism, if you believe in free speech, if you believe in the American tradition of true intellectual diversity you have to oppose censorship. It doesn't matter what your political party is... if you are American, if you believe in American values you KNOW censorship is un-American. Don't let people play intellectual games with you, don't let people attempt to re-define the First Amendment to exclude individuals.
There is currently a torturous new interpretation of the First Amendment that has become fashionable with pro-Censorship types... They claim that the First Amendment protects members of "the press" from the government but in their interpretation of the First Amendment there is no "individual" right to Free Speech. It has been awhile since your favorite Millennial Republican took History of Constitutional Law in college, but there are more than a few Supreme Court cases that suggest that INDIVIDUALS actually do have Free Speech rights in this country.
Censorship is un-American. Everyone should be willing to repeat that loud and clear. America is about Free Speech.
In case you are fuzzy about the First Amendment we think it is actually incredibly clear. In fact, your favorite Millennial Republican blogger has a First Amendment t-shirt. Read the words, remember them. Think about them. Is there anything in the First Amendment that makes you think CNN has the right to Free Speech but your average Jane Doe down the street does not? Is there anything in the Constitution that makes you think crony corporate media has rights the individual does not? The Constitution was written for us, not corporations. Don't let media talking heads obfuscate clear historical precedent. Don't let America become a country where people live in fear of Free Speech.
