Free speech is a hallmark of a healthy society. In modern times, no one seemed to understand this better than George Costanza’s father, Frank from “Seinfeld,” the creator of “Festivus.” Well, him and maybe President Ronald Reagan.
While Festivus included some silly holiday traditions – an aluminum pole for a Christmas tree and “feats of strength” (too ambitious for any holiday) – I totally support the “airing of grievances.” While I wouldn’t choose to direct them at family or friends, speaking freely about frustrations and solutions supports something in our Constitution called the First Amendment. This little provision written by the Founding Fathers has packed a big punch for more than 200 years now. And it’s kept most of us out of jail, thankfully.
During Donald Trump’s term as president, I remember someone on social media commenting that freedom is nice, but not necessary. There was some discussion concerning this opinion that I just observed from my phone, which is shocking because normally I would open my big mouth and spew my opinion. But for some reason I just read the comments, thinking to myself, “What a luxury it is for this person to be able to freely express his opinion. And what an astounding lack of self-awareness.”
As of Sept. 26, 2024, I can still write this article and express my opinions. I can write that I think coffee tastes infinitely better than tea, that Auburn University is a better college than the University of Alabama (ooh, fighting words!), and that fall is the BEST season of the year to all the summer-loving freaks.
I can post my comments on social media and shout them from my front porch if I like (I have really great neighbors). I can freely make them known because the First Amendment of the Constitution gives me this right as an American citizen, explicitly stating, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise.” It protects freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. And you can disagree with me on all the above statements – especially the college opinion – vehemently. None of us will get in trouble.
For now.
In a stubborn refusal to go away, Hillary Clinton recently stated that she’d like to make “spreading misinformation” a crime – misinformation being anything she disagrees with, of course. She initially used her nearly decade-long default argument about everything being Russian disinformation, but then she struck at the First Amendment. She suggested that Americans who use “propaganda” that is deceitful (code for probably true) should be civilly or sometimes CRIMINALLY charged, as a deterrent to exercising free speech. Clinton is most likely concerned about Americans uttering anything that, in her opinion, helps her perceived political rivals. It must be exhausting for her to constantly re-hash the 2016 election.
Last month, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s apprentice, Tim Jong Walz, shared his tyrannical view of all our wrong opinions. In an interview with MSNBC, he commented, “I think we need to push back on this. There’s no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our Democracy.” But wait, the First Amendment just provided him the protected right to state his insane beliefs! And for the love of Thomas Jefferson, America is NOT a democracy. Our nation is supposed to be a constitutional republic, even though it appears now to be more of an oligarchy. But that’s a whole different airing of grievances….
Way back in 2019, Vice President Kamala Harris pushed for Twitter/X to suspend former President Donald Trump. She claimed she wanted to hold Big Tech companies responsible for what they were facilitating when they allowed him to post on social media. She wanted to hinder a presidential candidate’s First Amendment rights. Her stance was so radical that even Sen. Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren (D-Mass.) disagreed. But as Harris has previously hinted, all you need is the will to act. And she certainly seems to have the will to circumvent the Constitution if it accomplishes her agenda.
If you have been watching Great Britain at all this year, you’ve seen them arrest their own citizens for speaking out against the government. We should take note, because that’s likely where we’re headed if Kamala Harris is elected in November. They are coming for our constitutional right to free speech. Adios to my favorite part of Festivus.
We’ve had a lot of grievances to air in the past four years – inflation, increases in crime, a lawless border, and more than 300,000 migrant children LOST by the Harris/Biden administration.
And make no mistake – it has been the HARRIS/Biden administration. Who thinks Joe Biden was really running the show? Yeah, me neither. We have already experienced one term of Kamala Harris, and most of us can’t afford name-brand toilet paper. We literally cannot afford another four years. Let the airing of the grievances begin!
On a serious note, if you value your First Amendment rights, it’s time to speak up (pun intended). Liberals want to obliterate our right to speak openly and honestly about the government. Their plan is to outlaw the free speech of their political opponents.
Don’t let them take Festivus from the rest of us.
