Free Speech Gets Biggest Challenge Yet

Let’s be clear about the breadth of the standard set forth by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution as ratified in 1791.

The First Amendment has come under heavy fire today from a number of different directions; so many that we’re not sure we caught all of them. The University of Minnesota, which President Punk’s Justice Department is scrutinizing for its handling of antisemitism on campus, largely barred itself on Friday from issuing official statements about “matters of public concern or public interest.” In short, it prohibits any department or university employee from speaking about anything political.

Then federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security searched two apartments at Columbia University, the same place where Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and taken into custody last Saturday. His arrest has sparked numerous protests over the week, including one yesterday where 100 Jewish students were arrested for a pro-Palestinian protest in the lobby of Punk Tower. No one was immediately arrested during today’s search, but…

 Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman, was later arrested in Newark, NJ, and charged with failing to leave the U.S. after her visa expired. Columbia said it had no record of Kordia ever being a student there, or being arrested on the campus. Kordia had previously received a student visa, but it was terminated in 2022 for “lack of attendance,” the department said. She is being held in an immigration detention center in Alvarado, Texas, according to a government database.

Oh, but they weren’t done yet. The U.S. Justice Department announced it is investigating whether Columbia University concealed “illegal aliens” on its campus. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking at the Justice Department, said it was all part of the president’s “mission to end antisemitism in this country.” The catch: antisemitism is, like it or not, illegal in this country. See Amendment 1 for more info.

At the same time, the rapidly decaying Department of Education took aim at a relatively small program that affects 45 major universities, called the Ph.D. Project. Its stated mission is to promote the racial diversity of professors in the nation’s business schools, with the idea of “enriching education for all.” This is not just an attack on free speech, but who gets to speak and who gets to learn. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said in announcing the investigation of the 45 business school programs. “We will not yield on this commitment.”

Mind you, where there is no inclusion there is no representation.

The final straw, that we know about, came when President Felonious Punk himself, a person who by all accounts should be sitting in jail, strode into the Great Hall of the Department of Justice and said that his courtroom opponents are “scum,” judges “corrupt” and the prosecutors who investigated him “deranged.”

Then, with the DOJ logo directly behind him, Punk called for his legal tormentors to be sent to prison. “These are people that are bad people, really bad people,” the president said in a rambling speech that lasted more than an hour. “The people who did this to us should go to jail.”

Punk then called himself the “chief law enforcement officer in our country” and accused the DOJ’s prior leadership of doing “everything within their power to prevent” him from becoming the president.

Hold it, this just in: America’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, head of the Department of Justice, declared: “If you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we’re coming after you.”

We’re not 100% sure, but that sounds like anyone stupid enough to be shopping for a Tesla could be arrested by the FBI. Most people are shedding those sorry pieces of metal as quickly as they can. And while there have been a few protest incidents at US dealerships, more Teslas have been burned and destroyed across Europe than in the US. Perhaps someone should remind Ms. Bondi that her powers are limited to our borders.

All this in one day.

The freedom to protest is absolutely critical as part of the national dialogue in any democratic society. It serves as a vital mechanism for individuals and groups to express their opinions, grievances, and demands directly to the public and to those in power. Here’s a detailed explanation of its importance:

1. Amplifying Marginalized Voices:

• Protest provides a platform for individuals and communities whose voices might otherwise be ignored or marginalized by mainstream media or political processes. It allows them to bring their concerns to the forefront of public attention and demand to be heard.
• Groups with less financial or political power often rely on protest to make their issues visible and to exert pressure for change.

2. Holding Power Accountable:

• The ability to protest acts as a check on governmental and corporate power. It allows citizens to publicly express their disapproval of policies, actions, or injustices, holding leaders and institutions accountable for their decisions.
• The threat of public protest can sometimes deter authorities from pursuing unpopular or harmful policies.

3. Driving Social and Political Change:

• Throughout history, many significant social and political changes have been initiated or accelerated by public protests. From the Civil Rights Movement to the women’s suffrage movement to environmental activism, protests have been instrumental in raising awareness, shifting public opinion, and ultimately leading to legislative and societal reforms.
• Protest can create a sense of urgency and demand for action that might not otherwise exist within traditional political channels.

4. Expressing Dissent and Diverse Opinions:

• A healthy national dialogue requires the free expression of a wide range of opinions, including those that challenge the status quo. Protest provides a crucial avenue for dissent and allows individuals to publicly voice their disagreements with prevailing norms or policies.
• It demonstrates the diversity of thought within a society and encourages a more robust and comprehensive discussion of important issues.

5. Informing Public Opinion and Raising Awareness:

• Protests can educate the public about issues that might not be widely understood or discussed. They can bring attention to injustices, inequalities, or potential harms, prompting broader public awareness and debate.
• Media coverage of protests can play a significant role in shaping public opinion and influencing the national conversation.

6. Acting as a Safety Valve:

• Allowing people to peacefully express their anger, frustration, or discontent through protest can act as a safety valve for societal tensions. When people feel they have a voice and an outlet for their grievances, it can reduce the likelihood of more destructive or violent forms of expression.

7. Fostering Civic Engagement:

• Participating in protests can be a form of direct civic engagement, encouraging individuals to become more involved in the political and social issues that affect their lives and communities.
• It can empower individuals and create a sense of collective action and solidarity among those who share similar concerns.

Standard rules of journalism insist that we’re supposed to say something here about peaceful protest being what is protected and is the most effective form of protest.

Uhmmm… yeah, about that …

The freedom to protest is not just a right; it is a fundamental and indispensable component of a healthy national dialogue. It ensures that a wide range of voices are heard, holds power accountable, drives social change, and ultimately contributes to a more just and equitable society.

To ensure that we do not lose the rights guaranteed to us by THE FOUNDERS, there’s really only one thing we can do.

We have to protest.