Free speech is under attack across the globe. Last week, a Brazilian judge shut down X for refusing to obey government censorship demands, France arrested Pavel Durov, CEO of the unregulated app Telegram, and a Hong Kong court convicted two journalists of sedition for publishing material critical of the government.
The U.S. is the next front in the battle over free speech. Voters here must decide if they want the government to limit what they can hear and read, the scientific information they can get and the political views they’re exposed to. That’s Vice President Kamala Harris’ definition of “freedom.”
Harris claims she’s campaigning for freedom, but her track record shows she’s the enemy of the most important freedom – free speech. She uses government power to muzzle those who disagree with her.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s letter to the House Judiciary Committee last Monday should serve as a red flag to everyone who values freedom. Better late than never, Zuckerberg called it “wrong” for the Biden-Harris administration to strongarm Facebook to take down postings indicating masks don’t work and COVID-19 vaccines might produce side effects. “I regret we were not more outspoken about it,” Zuckerberg wrote.
Zuckerberg’s letter confirms evidence already presented to the U.S. Supreme Court and in congressional testimony showing that the Biden-Harris administration repeatedly pressured social media companies to censor – getting them to do the dirty work the First Amendment prohibits government from doing directly.
Three days after Zuckerberg’s letter made headlines, CNN’s Dana Bash interviewed Harris but never asked about her role in censoring social media. That’s journalistic malpractice.
She did tell Bash that her “values haven’t changed.” That’s for sure.
Harris chose as her deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty, who was formerly the White House director of digital strategy – the person who called the shots about what got censored. Promoting Flaherty is another red flag that your freedom will be snuffed out in a Harris/Walz administration.
Elon Musk, CEO of X, isn’t mincing words about the threat Harris poses to free speech.
On Friday, Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes shut down X, imposing fines on anyone there who tries to use the platform. The judge’s rationale will sound frighteningly familiar – to protect democracy. In 2022, Moraes was given sweeping powers to take down “disinformation” about the outcome of a highly contested presidential election there. Musk had repeatedly flouted Moraes’ censorship commands.
After the shutdown Friday, Musk issued a warning to Americans: “The attacks this year on free speech are unprecedented in the 21st century. It will happen in America too if Kamala/Walz gain power.”
Moraes’ justification for shutting down X is identical to what Harris has said to defend censorship. In 2019, as California attorney general, she wrote to then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, asking him to deplatform then-President Donald Trump. When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked her if that would violate the First Amendment and lead to a slippery slope with half the nation eventually getting censored, Harris doubled down, insisting censorship is necessary to defend democracy from those who spread “misinformation.”
That’s the vernacular of tyrants. And what about her deeds?
In 2016, as California attorney general, she tried to enforce a state law compelling religious pregnancy centers to post information offering state-funded abortions. In short, compelling the centers to advertise what violates their beliefs. Harris defended the law in federal court, but ultimately the Supreme Court ruled against it.
In another unsuccessful end run around the First Amendment, Harris tried to compel conservative nonprofits in California to release their donors’ names, but the Supreme Court ruled her demand an unconstitutional intimidation of donors, violating their First Amendment rights. Even the usually ultraliberal American Civil Liberties Union opposed Harris’ demand.
Harris has been an enemy of the First Amendment throughout her career.
On Aug. 18, as he suspended his campaign, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assessed Biden-Harris, warning that “what alarms me is the resort to censorship, media control, and weaponization of the federal agencies,” which he called “an attack on our most sacred right of free expression.”
Zuckerberg, Musk and Kennedy – unlikely bedfellows but all identifying the same danger.
Trump pledges to end government censorship. Harris is promising a $6,000 handout to new parents for “a crib, car seat, and baby clothes.”
Don’t sell out your children’s freedom.
Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. Follow her on Twitter @Betsy_McCaughey.
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All our rights are at risk. Not just free speech. Although that is crucial to any nation that values freedom and individual liberties.
Yes, Brazil offers yet another example of what happens when a country opts to go back down the road of socialism / Marxism after a brief reprieve. One would think that what is going on in Brazil, the U.K., France, Germany and elsewhere would provide an incentive to the American public to reject the same ruinous policies being pushed here by the so-called Democrat Party. Unfortunately, there are an awful lot of uninformed and willfully ignorant Americans out there that just can’t connect the dots on pretty much anything it seems. They are excellent useful idiots and have been conditioned well by the left. Otherwise, they would soundly reject all the same Marxist policies that have failed everywhere else they have ever been tried and are actively being pushed by the Democrats here.
TRUMP – VANCE 2024 our only hope
someone needs to point out all the democrats’ attempt to censor us and violate our first amendment free speech rights the next time they start lecturing us about freedom.
The Frist Amendment is just the tip of the iceberg. The Left hates and fears our Constitution because it limits their power and control. That’s why the Left has been shredding our Constitution, one little piece at a time, for well more than a century now. If the Left is allowed to steal yet another Presidential election this November, our Constitution is gone, our rights are gone, our freedom is gone, and our nation is gone. We will just be a new version of Red China. Time for everyone to wake up to what is really going on and what the stakes are.
The “Democrats” (who can’t tolerate democracy) have never been shy about limiting the rights of others to self-expression. The passion for controlling others is their deepest passion and character trait.
Anyone with half a brain cell won’t vote for Harris. She is an incompetent idiot who laughs at everything mainly because she is too ignorant to understand most things so she laughs like a hyena.
Anybody remember Democrat COVID measures? Have a look on YouTube at Minneapolis Police shooting homeowners with paintballs for standing outside on their porches to force them inside or his “snitch line” during Walz draconian COVID measures if you need a reminder!
Freedom of speech is being stretched to include protests & protesters. That is not what the first amendment intended in my opinion. Calling people names, using profanity, burning the flag, painting public statues, etc. is not free speech & we should not tolerate this. Just think if these people did this in other countries & what would happen to them.
Main thing is, they just don’t want Musk and Trump as an alliance…. they know that’s deep deep deep trouble.
One of the Communist goals in 1950x was to control the news media. Watch out for what is happening today & when someone hollars FAKE NEWS is for a reason that they do not want people to know both sides of a story.
I am confused! Was not Biden.. Democrats in charge during the social media censorship of Facebook , Twitter and I suspect others per Zuckerberg’s letter?
My observation is that people don’t change they just get older. So why would anyone believe Harris, Zuckerberg, Gates, Oboma, Clinton etc based beliefs which they’ve believe in change? They are just wired in confusion and denials. Someone else made them do it (Bidens Gov, per Zuckerberg ) or as flip Wilson said the devil made me do it, never I.
We much stand fast and open debate, maybe get off the lazy boy and vote!
My only consolation is that voters will already have made up their mind regarding who to vote for. Remember, it’s not a vote for the person, but a vote for the principle of the Party. The newy minted Democratic superstar candidate has zero capacity, capability, nor common sense. Adults will recognize this so-called Dem politico’s fresh breath of air and realize it’s all just hot air.
Ms. Harris is an incompetent lawyer and does not support the Constitution of the USA.
Amazon Alexa programmed by democrats to favor Communist harris over President Trump when asked about voting.
When all else fails, Dems always resort to giving away other peoples’ money (taxes) to buy support or votes. Then they accuse their “political enemies” of doing the same things they consistently do.
Everyone needs to read the un agenda 21 and the 2030 agenda. These 2 documents are the drivers behind all of this BS. They are pushing a one world government and disarming citizens. They are behind the pushed redistribution of wealth in the USA to “bring it more inline with the rest of the world.”
We are living in very scary times folks and if we don’t stand up and stop the democrats now, we are going to lose everything.
More Election Interference by Judge Merchan with his illegal and unconstitutional Gag Order against President Trump who is the Leading political opponent. The Debate coming up and Communist harris is allowed to run off at the mouth but President Trump can’t make any commits on the Witch Hunt cases. Pure political election interference violating President Trumps First Amendment Rights. Americans are next if Communist harris is in the White House continuing Dictator Beijing bidens and obama policies.
Fight back and Raise Hell over this. President Trump and every American has every right to speak about the Witch Hunt cases against him. Especially, in a Presidential Debate.
It’s called: First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Communist harris wants to Raise Corporate Tax to 28 percent. More taxes from the democrats which also means WE pay the cost in Higher prices for everything. That’s another example of her economic plan.
Well, since there are so many folks who believe everything they read and so many outlets that put out trash I guess someone has to take care of those folks. People don’t seem to realize that Zuckerburg, Musk, they are only promoting themselves and their business, and Kennedy has his father and other family members turning in their graves. Does anyone really believe any one of them care about the average individual? Why do folks fall the crap they put out – – I guess mostly because sites like this give them credibility.
I think that abortion rights are the biggest issue in this election. Trump padded himself on the back for overturning Roe V Wade at the time, & now he is trying to backtrack & take a lesser stance to get voters on his side. He even used Ronald Reagan’s name to make it look like he agrees with his three points. A couple of month’s ago he said this should go to State laws & then came out & said AZ was too tough & this week said he would vote against 6-week vote in Florida election. This is important , but very important issue to all female voters in the year 2024. GOP did not recognize this in mid term election & look at the end results of this.