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“You should be allowed to say outrageous things.”
“There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And all of it is protected by the First Amendment.”
Both of the above quotes are attributable to Charlie Kirk, a political activist, media personality and evangelical Christian who was recently murdered, allegedly by a young man angered by Kirk’s views on homosexuality and gender transitions.
It was a sickening crime, witnessed by hundreds of students attending a Kirk event at a Utah college.
Such violence is abhorrent, and has no place in American political discourse. (On the same day there was more political violence: a 16-year-old boy opened fire inside a Colorado school – a boy who purportedly espoused neo-Nazi, white supremacist views.)
I’ll admit, I wasn’t familiar with Kirk’s political views, or his substantial following among young people.
I had forgotten that in April of 2024, Kirk held a political rally in Omaha to put pressure on lawmakers to end the state’s unique system of awarding presidential electoral college votes, and adopt a winner-take-all system, like most states. (The call came too late in the session to do anything about it, and since then, there’s been a lack of votes needed to make that change.)
What’s even more sad about the murder of Kirk is it took someone who advocated for free speech, and who regularly, and admirably, debated those who had differing opinions.
I’m a huge believer in free speech, as a journalist and as an American. Our guarantee of free speech rights puts us apart from many other countries, where dissent is squelched, media outlets shut down and, as in Russia, opposition leaders are jailed.
Freedom of speech, as well as freedom of the press, keeps our government officials accountable and, in many cases, brings out the truth.
America’s founders, in 1791, felt so strongly about ensuring the freedom to express opinions – even those that disparaged or opposed the current government – that they amended the Constitution, adding the Bill of Rights. Those rights include the freedom to worship as we chose – not how the government dictates.
“God hath created the mind free, and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint,” wrote Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, then, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas now, warned us against allowing the government to decide what is “free speech” and what isn’t, because it could come back to bite us. Right now, President Trump can demonize liberals and threaten reprisals, but as soon as a liberal or moderate gains the White House, the tables will turn, and conservatives might lose jobs or be targets of threats.
Right now, the government is trying to punish people for what they say.
Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel makes a joke – which is what comedians do – and suddenly the head of a government agency, the Federal Communications Commission (which licenses broadcasters) is calling for his firing. Kimmel eventually got his job back, but the message was clear – if you say something we don’t like, look out.
Across the country, people were losing jobs or being forced to resign over comments – however appropriate or inappropriate – over the killing of Charlie Kirk.
We saw that even in Nebraska. A school board member in Kimball stepped down for posting on social media that he didn’t think American flags should be lowered to half staff after the murder of Kirk. (Gotta say, I’ve heard several similar gripes in the past, from the left and right, about why the flag was lowered for certain reasons.)
And then there’s the lawsuits the president has filed against nearly every news network and major newspaper over stories, or editing, he didn’t like. Again, better watch what you write or say, regardless of the Bill of Rights.
The bottom line is freedom of speech is a precious right in our country. To let it erode is a tragedy. That’s something even Charlie Kirk would likely agree with.
