Free Speech

Last evening I sat in the dark on my porch after hearing the news that Jimmy kimmel’s nightly show has been immediately ‘paused’ by ABC. I was in shock, yet I probably should not have been. I went through this just a couple of months ago at the news of the ending of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

When Stephen’s show was cancelled President Trump spoke right after and he said he was glad about it. He then said they’d be coming for Kimmel and Fallon too. So, I should not be surprised by last night’s news about Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Where will Trump stop? What about Seth Meyers? And SNL? And “The Daily Show”? And John Oliver? And, Josh Johnson’s stand up? What about “The Simpsons” ? What about any person or show that speaks out against the president, using jokes and art to satirize?

I’m old enough to remember “The Smothers Brothers Show” and how the brothers were edgy and talked about the politics of the day. Steve Martin was a young writer on the show. A man named Pat Paulson did a whole spoof, pretending to run for president. Critics wanted to quiet the Smothers Brothers. It was a thing.

So, it’s not new: this push back on ‘free speech’ used in the entertainment industry.

A reminder: every single late night talk show host from Paar to Leno, Carson, and O’Brien, and more – ALL have told jokes in their monologues about politics. All political figures were fair game.

Lately it’s been the late night hosts and their shows who are being cancelled. But, newspapers have been sued by Trump because he did not like some of the editorials. Soon the Trump administration might go after movies and other forms of entertainment. He seems to have a very thin skin and has set up his people to ‘fight his fight’ in a way no other president has before. (Trump likes to be the president ‘like no other before.’ )

My opinion is that Trump has lived his whole life with ‘yes men,’ who have bowed down to him, who have known not to push back in fear of being fired and humiliated, and who have allowed his puffed up ego to go unrestrained. As a real estate person he got away with it, although a check back on newspaper articles from those days, and even some TV shows, will show that people were on to his con-man ethics even then.

But, now, as president, Trump has no restrictions and he feels confident and justified to go after those who criticize him. The assassination of Charlie Kirk (who I regard as a younger Trump after watching videos of him – same ego, same smooth liar) Trump is even more empowered to make anyone who speaks against him be shuttered.

A couple days ago, Attorney General Bondi stated that anyone who speaks ‘hate speech’ will be targeted. Did she forget that all speech but speech inciting violence is allowed under the law? I mean, if ‘hate speech’ is criminal then Trump has been breaking the law over and over for years! His speech is nasty. His speech contains lies. His speech is racist. His speech inflames people. It is personal. He says crazy things about people. He likes to hurt people with words. Why can he do it? Free speech.

So – yours and my FREE SPEECH is under attack right now. It is frightening. It is one-sided, and politically motivated. I don’t agree with Trump’s policies and I really don’t like the man. So, maybe I have ended up on a list. Didn’t Vance just ask people to turn in other people? I know I have MAGA folks who read my musings and posts.

This is where we are. This is what Americans and our Republican Congress is allowing to happen. A foundation of democracy, of ‘we the people,’ is being taken away. Am I using hyperbole? I don’t think so. Am I fearing what is to come? Yes.

Will speech be free going forward? Or, will more voices start disappearing? I hope not, but I predict that I will sit on my porch and feel sadness again.